Secret Games
by bookworm1999
Summary: Update! Chloe is running away from Lex, but why? Pete hates Lex more than ever, Lana is married and has a son. Bruce Wayne in the horizon. BatmanSmallville Crossover. pairings: Chruce, Chlex, Clois
1. Chapter 1

Title: Secret Games

Author: Bookworm1999

Rating: R

Pairings: Lots of them so there's not point in giving any of them away, for now!

Spoilers: Anything before season 4 is fair game. This Lois hasn't met Clark or Smallville yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. So don't sue me!!

Summary: AU, Future Fic, some storylines up to season 3. Chloe is running away from, Lex? But why?? Clark is on his quest for greatness, Lana is married and working for Lex. Pete hates Lex more than ever. (I am not very good at summaries, Just Read!!!)

PRELUDE

The stars twinkled on the dark, clear, blanket that was the autumn sky. Silent witnesses of the nightly events that were rarely heard about. Smallville was calm that night, the road silent, except when a late driver interrupted the silence once in a while. The sound of the wheels and the motor humming away as the car passed. On the side of the road the never ending grass met with the stars in a faraway horizon. A lonely figure appeared, the outline visible only thanks to the bright stars that shone. A bundle was carried ever so carefully, a strand of blond hair escaped her hooded sweatshirt, which was tucked carefully behind her ear. Her eyes now reflected the sight of the road at the end of the field.

She sighed with relief and hurried her pace as much as was possible. The weight in her arms and the soreness of her body making it more difficult to walk, but her determination won over and her eyes looked firmly ahead at her goal. Her sweat pants were loose, chosen for comfort and to be able to easier hide in the shadows, of course, things would have been better had she had a darker color to choose from, the light beige of her clothing looking almost white against the darkness.

Finally, after what seemed forever, her tennis shoes hit the pavement of the road. She took one look behind her, at the field and seeing it was empty once again, she headed north. She had left everything behind, even her camera, she only carried some money and the now moving bundle in her arms.

"Shh, please, don't wake up, not yet." Her pleading whisper breaking the heavy silence and making it sound almost like a shout. The sound of her voice soothed the baby tucked in a light blanket and it nestled further in her bosom as it stilled once again.

The woman kept walking, taking furtive looks behind her to make sure no one had already noticed her absence and was being followed. She wasn't too sure what she was going to do, but she hoped for a miracle soon. Her legs seemed heavier with every step she took, the soreness of her hips and back were more evident now than when she had left the hospital. The tolls of having just recently been in labor started to affect her composure, she had felt strong and capable but now she wasn't so sure running had been the right thing to do at this moment. But she had to take advantage that no one would expect her to try something like this after having given birth only a couple hours before.

"If my great grandmother could be up and serving dinner after her eight kid, I don't see why I can't walk a couple miles."

She talked to herself in the attempt to get her mind off the tension of her nerves and the strong pain in various parts of her body. Her life these last couple days had taken such a turn that a lot of things hadn't quite registered yet, most of her actions had been automatic, out of adrenaline and a survivor's instinct.

Survive, that's what she had to do now, had all this happened before, maybe she wouldn't have cared much for survival, but now she wasn't alone, and she had someone to fight for.

Suddenly the darkness her eyes had now been accustomed to was broken by a small light in front of her. She watched in fear and saw a car racing down the long, straight road. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the speed, then turned to fear in the realization of who it might be. Her strength was now completely drained and she could do nothing more than try to hide in the darkness the field offered. She knelt on the side of the road, hoping the car would pass by not noticing the figure in the grass on the side of the pavement.

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It had been a three hour trip, but she had made it in almost two. She couldn't afford to lose much time, college was more difficult every quarter and practices more exciting by the week. Life was good. After her last article was done, at almost three in the morning, she had ventured to ride to Smallville. A Coke by her side and a bag of chips she was ready to go, and she knew the faster she went, the quicker she would get to see her cousin and get out of the farm and back into the city. It was almost dawn, the darkest part of the night, right before the first rays of the sun peeked in the horizon. But the driver barely took notice of the possible sunrise she could see, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Her hand reached for a potato chip and she popped it in her mouth, the radio was on and loud, in an attempt to keep her awake, but that wouldn't have been necessary, after all, she was a night person and her highest point of energy was at night, specially with the speed she carried the small car to.

"Oh shit," she murmured as her purse fell from the passenger seat to the floor of the car. The purse had been opened and all its contents now lay on the floor. She eyed a chocolate bar she had kept in her purse and suddenly the chips weren't her main objective anymore.

She unbuckled her seat belt, and taking one last look at the empty road ahead of her, reached her hand for the chocolate, losing the road for only a matter of seconds. Her hand finally found the bar and her eyes were back on the road.

"Damn!" the car had veered a little off the road and was about to hit the grass beside the pavement, but that didn't scared her as much as the sight of an all white figure crouched on the side of the road, its eyes were big and filled with fear as the headlights grew closer and bigger.

She grabbed the steering wheel and turned the opposite way with all her strength possible, pressing the brakes in an attempt to stop the car.

When it finally came to a screeching halt, she was on the other side of the road where there were some trees, the car stopped only a couple feet from one.

She tried to calm herself down and looked behind her, she saw only darkness but her curiosity had been piqued. She took one deep breath as she turned the car on the correct lane. She then proceeded to get out of the car, a small can of pepper spray in her hand, just in case.

"Is there anyone there? Are you okay?" she was sure she had seen someone, and making remembrance she was almost sure it had been a woman. "I only want to help! Yeah, and make sure I didn't kill anybody." The last part was said mainly to herself but it was heard by the figure that was hiding deeper in the grass. A voice was heard first.

"Lois?"

A face then appeared from the grass and Lois immediately recognized the blond short hair and the big expressive eyes.

"Oh my god, Chloe?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Smallville - Same day 6:00 am**

"Good morning! Time for your vitamins and it time for the little one's ba-."

The nurse had walked into a room that was empty and quite a mess, as soon as her mind registered the scene before her she turned on her heel and ran out of the room. She had to get to the doctor and say what had happened, she was almost out of the hall when she bumped into someone.

Her mind had been racing so that she hadn't noticed the tall figure that had been walking towards her. She saw the shoes first, then the long dark coat, before she could see his face she had recognized him.

"Mr. Luthor, um, she, your wi," she couldn't seem to get her words straight, and she couldn't bring herself to look at him in the eye.

"Is something wrong nurse?" he lifted his eyebrow to encourage the woman in front of him, more like scare her into finishing her sentence.

She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

"Your wife and child have disappeared." She finally looked up at him, only to find a pair of cold steel blue eyes; he pushed her harshly to the side and ran to the end of the hall.

He erupted into the room, it was empty, bed and crib. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he saw her bag of clothes full, and the diaper bag ripped, apparently she hadn't taken much except the baby.

In a second he had the cell phone on his ear.

"I want a search team all over the surrounding areas, especially towards metropolis or Edge city, she is carrying a baby and will be weak, so she couldn't have gone far." He proceeded to give more physical signs of her. "Just find her and bring her back, do you hear me? Bring her back!" He violently closed the phone and threw it on the bed.

He wasn't going to lose her, not now.

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**Metropolis - 8:00 am**

"You should really get back to bed. You haven't slept a wink!" Lois was already up and with a bowl of cereal in front of her.

"I rested in the car, and I slept here like half an hour, I really have to get moving." With slow movements she headed towards the bed, were the baby was in the middle of it with pillows all around it.

"How did you manage to get out of the hospital, and with the baby, aren't they all in a special place, all together? And why are you running? I mean your husband is Lex Luthor, he can make any problem go away, and why do you have to leave now? You're okay here. Does you father know about this???"

She finally took a deep breath and looked at her cousin, waiting for an answer, but not before taking a bite of her toast.

"Okay, one question at a time, I'm not used to being on this side of the questioning." She managed a weak grin and sat down on a chair besides the bed. She relaxed as the comfort of the chair and the support it offered to her tired back.

She was about to open her mouth when a loud wail erupted from the small form on the bed. Chloe rolled her eyes and let out a laugh.

"Hold on, duty calls." She gently carried the baby and its cries lessened only a bit. Its small, pink mouth searching hungrily for her breast.

"Shh, you hungry, huh? Figures," she lifted her shirt and unhooked her bra, the baby's mouth quickly found her nipple and grabbed it frantically with its mouth.

"Whoa, you are really hungry." She quickly placed her hand around her breast to better support the baby's source of food. "The last I fed her was right before leaving the hospital, that's how I was able to have her, I practically had to beg the nurse to let her stay the night with me." She grimaced a little as the baby sucked hard in her need for food and nourishment.

"Ow, does it hurt? I mean, I never thought of you as the breast-feeding type." Lois had a pained look on her face as she watched the baby tug unmercifully at her cousin breast.

Chloe laughed and looked down at the baby in her arms.

"Yeah, neither did I, but it was the only way to have her the most time possible, it was that or the nurse would have fed her and I wouldn't have her with me right now. They taught me to do this; it still feels kind of awkward though. Besides as you can see I have nothing on me, not even a bottle."

"So this brings me back to, why are you running??" she got up and put her plate away in the sink and walked towards Chloe.

"Well, you are right, Lex could make anything go away, except it's him I'm running from." Lois arched her eyebrows in surprise and sat on the bed besides Chloe, waiting for her to tell her why.

"It's a long story and I am not about to go into it right now," Lois opened her mouth to protest. "Please, maybe some other time. I know it's too much to ask, but please I really don't have the emotional strength right now."

"Fine, so that's answers my other question, this will probably be the second place he'll look, after your dad's house."

"Yeah, and by this time I'm sure they know I'm gone." The baby whimpered as she sucked and nothing came out. "Oops, hold on kiddo." She switched the baby's position to have her feed on her other breast.

"Whoa, apparently she takes after her aunt Lois." Lois laughed.

"Yeah, she doesn't seem to get her fill, this is the second time I feed her, last time she dried me up as well." She smiled fully, illuminating her pale demeanour and a bright sparkle shone in her eye.

"Well, that's the best I have seen you since I found you on the road. Are you sure you're up for a trip?"

"Having a child does change your life, and because of this beautiful pink bundle I have to be up for a trip, no matter how tiring it may be." Her face got serious and she smiled wryly at her cousin then down at her baby.

"So, does this pink bundle have a name?" Lois said as she reached to touch the smooth head of the baby.

"Gabrielle"

"After her grandpa I see. It's a nice name, strong too."

"Yeah, I was going for strong." She grinned at her cousin; light green eyes met the deep blue eyes of the dark haired woman in front of her.

A loud screech of tires interrupted their small chat and Chloe started to tremble.

"Oh my god, he's here." She quickly pulled the baby away, handing in to Lois, the baby protesting loudly. Lois blinked in surprise and tried to recover quickly, holding the baby awkardly "We gotta go." She quickly packed the change of clothes her cousin had given her in a backpack that was hers as well.

"You cannot be sure it's him, I'll go check." The apartment was in the second floor of the building and her window led to the street. She peered carefully through the blinds while trying not to drop her niece.

A Porsche had just parked in front of the building. The door opened and a bald head was seen first before the rest of his body was exposed to the curious eyes in the second floor.

"Okay, it's him, unless there is another bald, young, and rich man in these surrounding areas that just happened to stop by my apartment building." She smirked and turned around to find Chloe behind her, her arms stretched, asking for the baby.

Once the baby was in her arms and tucked in the blanket, she looked up determinably at her cousin.

"Where's your fire exit?"


	3. Chapter 3

**8:00 a.m. Smallville - Luthor Castle**

Small, thin fingers attacked furiously at the small laptop placed in a desk besides the large one in the main office. The recent events had made her come back to Smallville, as Lex Luthor's personal assistant she had to be here to oversee the tracking down of his wife.

It had almost been three years since she had stepped foot in that town, and even now, she didn't dare to go out of the castle and bump into people who would ask questions and want to know how she's been. She would avoid that by just staying inside and doing her job.

The computer screen in front of her revealed several windows of information on Chloe Sullivan. Family, friends, addresses, phone numbers. Everything needed to find anyone. But she knew that this time it would do no good, specially since the target was the one who showed her how to use this system, no one knew it more that she did.

If Chloe didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be, that much she knew.

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"Take my car, here are the keys" Lois handed Chloe the keys.

"Um, yeah." She reached for them, then reacted. "No, I'll take a cab." Lois opened her mouth, but Chloe continued, interrupting her. "taking your car will make me easier to find and besides, you don't have a car seat for Gabrielle."

"Fine," agreeing with her reasoning, but not too sure about this frantic run. "The fire exit is over here, but its kind of wobbly so, be careful." She headed towards the window besides her bed.

"Oh wait." She stopped and turned around. The adrenaline rushing through her brain, helping her think faster. "Keep him entertained, give me a head start. With one phone call and he'll be able to track me down."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him." She grinned at her cousin and helped her walk out to the fire exit. "Just be careful and keep in touch. You still owe me an explanation."

"Bye Lois, and thanks." With that she started walking carefully down the metal stairs.

"Wait! You didn't answer my last question."

"What?" she stopped and turned around, her eyes revealing she had no idea what Lois was talking about.

"Does your father know about this?" Lois watched as her face turned pale and her eyes sad.

"My father is ... dead." She finished cryptically. This had been a subject she had wanted to avoid, and was somehow glad she wouldn't have a chance to answer all the questions that must be going through her cousin's mind at that moment.

With one hand on the rail and the other holding the baby tightly she made her way down the stairs. 

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Hand deep in his pockets Lex Luthor made his way up the small set of stairs of the apartment building. He quickly looked down at the paper in his hand. 204, that was the number of the apartment he hoped to find Chloe. He searched for the number in the panel besides the door, then pressed the button besides it.

There was no answer, he rang again.

He was about to ring a third time when a voice croaked over the speaker.

"Yes?" a clearing of throat was heard before a deep soft voice went over the speaker.

"Lex Luthor, may I have a minute of your time?"

"Sure, come on up. Oh, and take the stairs, the elevators are a little tricky." A loud ring was heard, he took the cue and pushed the door and it opened, closing heavily behind him. 

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Lois took one last look out the window to check on Chloe. She was on her last set of stairs, trying not to fall and going as quickly as possible. She headed toward the door, knowing her visitor was about to ring that bell.

And it rang at that moment.

She stood in front of the door and let out a deep breath.

She opened the door.

"Good morning Mr. Luthor, this is quite a surprise." She didn't move away from the doorway.

"A good one I hope." Was he flirting with her?

He smirked as he examined her. Chloe had introduced her to him in one of the many dinners and parties they both attended to. She was tall, long legs going up to a small waist and full bosom, her large, cat-like eyes framed by long dark hair, her full mouth was now pulling up in a flirty smile.

"Well, that's a bit presumptuous, don't you think?" she didn't move from the doorway

"Maybe, but, may I come in? Or is this your way of saying it was an unpleasant surprise?"

"Sorry, come on in." she moved from the doorway and led him to the sofa. "Take a seat Mr. Luthor." She watched him as he entered her small living room, his legs walking by closely to hers, if she just put her foot out one inch...

"What?" he managed to say as he felt his foot hit something and he lost his balance.

Lois reached out for him, trying to help him gain his footing, her hands supporting his torso. They both fell ungracefully on the sofa, Lois quickly pushed away from Lex and sat on the couch in front.

"Sorry about that, this apartment is so small." She furrowed her eyebrows in mock embaressement, her mouth forming a sheepish frown.

"Yes, anyway, I only came because I need your help, it's about your cousin." He said quickly, brushing his coat with his hand in an attempt to straighten it.

"Chloe? Is she okay? I got a call from your secretary yesterday, but I couldn't make it to Smallville." She was really pulling tricks from her hat this time. She hoped it was enough to fool him.

"Don't mention it, we had planned for the delivery to be here, she wasn't due for another two weeks."

"Ohh." An uncomfortable silence fell between them.

"Actually, that's what I came to talk about. You see, a couple hours after the delivery she disappeared." Lois lifted her eyebrow in mocked surprise.

"Have you found her? Is she okay?"

"The doctors told me she is suffering from postpartum depression, it's a psychological ailment that affect women who just gave birth in different ways. It made Chloe a little paranoid." He watched her reaction as the new information settled in.

She hadn´t seem paranoid, scared probably, but not paranoid.

"Isn't that usually just a really bad depression?"

"Like I said, it affects women differently." He was beginning to get annoyed. She was supposed to help him.

"How does Gabe feel about this?" she purposefully asked that to verify what Chloe had said before she left.

He put on his poker face and his expression became unreadable.

"He's worried, but he trusts me to find her and Alexia." Wasn't he dead? She was really confused now, and who's Alexia?

"Who's Alexia?" did he mean Gabrielle?

"My daughter."

So Alexia, huh? This was getting weirder by the minute. Something didn't seem right.

"Okay, I must confess I am a little freaked out, my cousin is suddenly a nut case and you want my help, for what?" At least she was stalling him, although at this point she wasn't sure that was the right thing to do. But her instinct told her to trust her cousin.

He stood up and took a look around the apartment.

"I have on good sources that you will be the person she will turn to. All these years in Metropolis you two have made good friends, and well I just want to know that in case she does come, you will notify me immediately."

He turned and looked at her in the eye, a look meant for business partners and associates to persuade them that what he was saying was the right thing for everyone. He hoped it worked on this tall brunette.

"Sure, you can count on me." She watched as he turned and made his way to the door, walking by the kitchen.

He wasn't going to get much out of her, and he was wasting his time. He had tried to be charming, nice and business-like. He didn't want to stay to be harsh.

"Well, as you can probably guess I have a lot of things on my hands now, I must get going." She stood and caught up with him at the door.

She opened it and stood besides it, waiting for him to walk out, but he stood frozen staring at something on the kitchen floor.

He bent to pick it up, his heart suddenly thumping a thousand a minute. On his way out something had caught his eye. It was a small diaper barely the size of his hand, teddy bears and pink ribbons adorned the front side. He had picked them out himself. Lois flinched, Chloe must have dropped it when she was packing up the backpack. Suddenly his blood turned lava and he furiously shoved the diaper in Lois' hand.

"Where is she?" his tone low and menacing. So he would stay and be harsh after all.

Neither his tone nor the fire in his eyes made her back down.

She stared defiantly at him, her eyes at level with his thanks to the tall - heeled boots she was wearing.

"Where is she?" he questioned again, this time grabbing her arms and pushing her against the door, almost breaking it with the force.

She pushed him off with all her might.

"She left quite a while ago, you won't find her." Her tone still unflustered by his rage.

It unnerved him that she reacted so indifferently to his anger, only Chloe was able to do that.

He marched angrily out the door, not before grabbing the diaper from her hand.

Walking down the hall, he headed for the stairs, when the elevetor rang and opened to deliver a couple to that floor.

He cursed under his breath. That had only stalled him. He quickly walked in the elevator.

As soon as he was out of the building, he reached for the right pocket of his jacket to fetch his cell phone.

It was empty.

His hands furiously attacked all the known pockets of his attire.

They were all empty.

Even his car keys were gone.

"No!" he turned angrily against the heavy door and hit it with a tightly made fist. He knew she had them, but also that there was no way she was going to open for him.

He hadn't felt this lost since he had been pulled out of the psychiatric ward by a young, small blond haired woman.

She had helped him out of his hallucinations and insecurities, but now she was gone. He had screwed everything up, again.

He had destroyed her trust, her love, he knew that, but he had to get her back


	4. Chapter 4

**3:00 p.m. - Kent farm**

Expert hands were attacking the beautiful green apples, ridding them of their bright color. In happier days the door would have swung open at that moment, letting in a ray of sunlight, and her son in front of it. But the house remained engulfed in silence, a silence that killed a small part of her every day.

She looked up and stared at the door, wishing, like she had every day for the past three years that the silhouette of a tall, built young man would appear.

But it didn't.

She knew Jonathan was working in the barn, having done all the outside work in the morning, trying to avoid the scalding afternoon sun. She also knew that she would be alone, for at least two more hours.

She looked down at the apples and realized she had finished them all, she sighed and dropped the peeler. She knew that after high school Clark would venture out on his own, but she never thought it would be so hard, specially since they hadn't received a single letter from him. To add on to matters, she knew he wasn't out in a college somewhere, she didn't even know where he was.

He was gone, and although he had promised to come back, every year that passed made that possibility less real.

Small footsteps were heard and her heart skipped a beat.

She walked in front of the small hall that led to the front door. The sun was hitting the door and a small shadow started to appear as the figure went up the small set of stairs. She suddenly felt time stop and retreat back to a time where infant Clark would run up the stairs after a day of 'manly' things with his father to greet his mother with a tight hug.

The shadow was now fully in front of the door, its hand made a small fist and knocked on the wood siding of the door.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. She was losing her mind, whoever was at the door was not her Clark, and she wasn't in a time warp. She fought to regain her composure and walked forward to open the door.

"Good Morning, you have a nice house!"

A small boy looked up at her with a big smile on his face. His skin was creamy white, his head was topped with dark, thick hair, his eyes matched hers in color, and were familiarly expressive.

Martha caught a sob in her throat, and uncharacteristically blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Clark" she whispered.  
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Same afternoon, some road in Kansas.

This had been her third change of bus and destination, she was now sitting back on the not so comfortable seat, but her back and sore muscles welcomed any kind of rest. Gabrielle was quick to fall asleep, the movement of the bus rocking her.

Chloe looked down at her daughter, her small eyes were shut tightly and her mouth made a suckling motion then went still. God she was so perfect, her head was perfectly round, her fingers were ten, just like her toes. It was the first time she had allowed herself to take the time to be awed by the wonderful miracle that was in her arms. This small present was hers, she had been born out of her womb.

But she was Lex's also.

Her smile immediately faded and turned into a sad expression. Tears fell freely down her cheeks. Her mind suddenly registering the events of the last couple days, they came back like flashbacks, angry flashes of memories and moments she wanted to forget.

_Her investigation had led her to the Kent Farm, she tiptoed and walked right up to the cellar. She carefully opened the door and walked inside. A single ray of light illuminated her sight of the cellar. She walked a bit more, that's when she saw it._

It was a ship.

_"I'm your husband, why didn't you tell me you kept on investigating Clark Kent?" Lex Luthor was angry, and not even the sight of a very pregnant Chloe made him control his anger._

"Right, like you told me about the change in my anticonceptive pills?" she was angry also, If he was going to play that game, she would win, easy.

"I don't know where you got that idea." His tone still cold.

"Try your last lover dear." She spit out the words with a mix of betrayal and hurt.

He went still.

"Oh, she also gave me the tip on what you wanted this child for, I still can't wrap my head around that one, and, and, what you did to my father." sobs shook her, she hated herself for it, but the pregnancy had made her too emotional.

Lex now looked like a wounded animal, she wasn't supposed to know.

"If it helps any, I found nothing on Clark Kent, he's just your average person." She said between sobs as she headed towards the large double doors of the library. She suddenly stopped as a pain seared through her, her round stomach hardening.

She looked out the window and she tried to shut out the memories, there were more but those were so hurtful she didn't allow herself to dwell on them. What mattered was that she had found out after all who she had married.

A man who cheated on her with any pretty lab rat that walked past him.

A man that had been capable of perfecting his child through genetic engineering.

The man that had killed her father if not physically at least in her eyes.

And he said he loved her, and she had been stupid enough to believe him. She now only hoped that he wouldn't find her or her child.

Suddenly the bus jarred to a stop pulling her out of her thoughts, her heart stopped as she looked out the window and saw several police cars around and in front of the bus.

She looked ahead and saw the driver speaking to one of the officers, she struggled to hear.

"We are looking for this woman.." she couldn't hear the rest and she didn't stay to find out more. Grateful she was close to the back and that several passengers had gotten up to find out the reason of their sudden stop. She walked carefully to the back of the bus to the bathroom and locked herself in.

The bus driver was deeply annoyed, he hated officers, and more these special unit ones that were so arrogant and uptight. He was now being shoved a picture of a woman in his face. He took it in his hands and examined it closely, he immediately recognized the young mother that had boarded his bus a couple hours ago, he remembered her expressive, frightened eyes.

"Nope, not that I remember." He chose not to let recognition evident on his face, he just wanted these officers off his bus.

"Mind if we take a look?"

"Sure, if you can" the officers stepped inside only to be assaulted by the angry passengers, they struggled to get their attention, but they finally succeeded and managed to get everyone to sit down.

The bus was only half full, so the empty spaces didn't call too much attention. The officers started to check one by one.

A younger officer then walked in, interrupting their search with news.

"We got a lead in one of the busses towards Edge City."

"Let's go, she's not here."

She felt the bus move again, and she willed her legs to work, she opened the door and walked shakily to her seat. Tears threaten to fall again, but she willed them back, an unsuspected sense of peace came over her. The worst that could have happened, happened, and she had survived.

Sleep suddenly assaulted her and she allowed herself to close her eyes, holding Gabrielle tightly to her breast. 

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Martha stared hard at the small boy, then her lips started to form a smile, returning the still bright one from her visitor.

"Good morning Martha." A small voice came from behind the boy. Martha looked up in surprise, still somehow believing this was all a dream she had willed upon herself.

"Lana?" she straightened as she regained her sanity. "Hi, come on in."

"I see you've met Michael, he liked the house so much he didn't wait for me to get out of the car." She smiled reservedly, still not knowing how she ended up here. No, she did know.

"He's yours?" Martha asked as she walked in, leading them into the living room. Surprise still on her face. He looked so much like Clark when they had found him, or rather when he had found them.

"Yeah, I know I haven't been here for quite a while, but I was in the neighbourhood and decided to stop by." She didn't know why she felt like she had some explaining to do. Or maybe she did.

Martha was now completely aware this was not a dream and that Michael was not Clark, and her acute senses felt something was bothering Lana.

"Where have you been, we never heard from you again after Clark left." Martha sat down, and motioned for them to do so as well.

"Yeah, I left for Metropolis, got married and had Michael." And uncomfortable silence reigned between them. "I'm working for Lex, that's why I am here." She tried to move the conversation to more neutral ground.

"Yes, so we heard, Pete came by to give us the news. Has he found her?" She was somehow glad the conversation had shifted, but also disappointed. There was a lot to ask this girl who had been the center of her son's life for so long, and she suspected was behind him leaving the way he did as well.

"Not yet. But we found several possible leads on her, but personally I don't think he'll find her." Did she read hope in her words?

Martha cleared her throat, her eye catching Michael's, he smiled brightly at her again.

"You are very pretty." He beamed

Martha laughed.

"Why thank you sir." She looked up at Lana. "So this is Michael, how old is he?" she was beginning to feel suspicion. Why had Lana come, and brought her son with her?

"Tell her Michael." She urged her son.

"I'm two, but I will be three in six months." His speech was perfectly clear.

"Wow, you know how to count!" she smiled down at him. "do you want a cookie?" he carefully nodded, not before looking for his mom's consent.

"You are bringing up a perfect gentleman Lana, congratulations, and very smart as well." Her suspicion was growing stronger, but she pushed those thoughts away. If what she suspected was true, then little Michael wouldn't be as normal as he seemed.

She got up and went to the kitchen. She was back soon with a cookie jar and a small plate. She handed him the plate, his eagerness not hidden this time. He grabbed for the plate with his small hand, his small grip tightened around the plate as he turned to chose a cookie from the cookie jar, as his excitement grew at the sight of the delicious cookies he held the plate harder. Suddenly a crash was heard as the thick plastic plate fell to the wooden floor.

Martha looked in shock as she saw his small fist still holding part of the plate.

"I'm sorry pretty lady, I didn't mean to break it." His eyes glistened with tears.

Martha didn't speak as she stared at the remainder of the plate on the floor, it was almost complete, except it was missing a part the size of a small fist.

---------------------------------------- 

Chloe made her way out of the bus, her backpack slung on her back, Gabrielle in her arms, now fully awake and making content noises, flinging her arms up, as if to reach her mother. She looked up at the welcome sign, it was barely hanging on, graffiti adorning it.

**Welcome to Gotham City –**


	5. Chapter 5

**That night, Luthor Mansion**

Dead, that's how he felt, dead.

He saw his life painfully flash before him, scene by scene, action by action. He looked up from his desk, thinking some alcohol would do good to dull his brain.

No, he didn't deserve even that solace; he wasn't going to run away from this feeling, it was something to analyze and ponder upon. The silence of the huge office started to engulf him, making him feel smaller with every thought that passed through his head.

The past day's events had lured him slowly into an analytical state of his own self. He slowly ran through the most important events of his life and how bits of him died with every one of them. Not even his dear Chloe could save him, it had been too late for him, he now realized that.

He had bretayed her trust.

He had killed his own father.

He had genetically manipulated his own child.

He had betrayed everyone's trust at some point, regardless of the reasons.

Then it hit him: He was Lex Luthor, the ends always justified the means, always.

As that thought filtered through his mind, he suddenly began to feel stronger. His father was gone, so he now owned everything, his money, his name, his power. But it just didn't end there, he would be richer than his father, more powerful, more resourceful, he would be better. Everyone would worship him, and Chloe would come back to him, even if he had to erase her memory to do it.

But first he had to find her, and he would.

**Next Morning, the Kent Farm**

It was a quiet breakfast, both caught up in their thoughts. Martha had told him about Lana's visit and about Michael. Jonathan had not been that quick to draw conclusion, simply listening and digesting the tale, reason had always been his guide, and this was no exception. He had been quite surprised at Martha's raving, it was so out of character for her, but she was a mother after all, a mother that suffered every day the heavy losses they had suffered three years ago.

"I have been thinking," Martha broke the silence and looked up seriously at her husband. "You're right, I am seeing too much into this, maybe I'm just hopeful, I want to see him everywhere, even in Lana's son. But do understand that it is not too much of a far fetched theory and I will not rest until I find out the truth." She ended with a sigh and a slight stubborn tilt of her chin.

Jonathan took her in. She was so beautiful, even after all these years, and that stubborn look only made her look more so in his eyes. He inwardly admitted that she was right, but it had been a secret game they had played their whole lives, when one felt, the other thought. It had kept them sane and provided the stability and security he so loved in his marriage to that wonderful woman.

"I won't stop you, I just want you to think things through rationally, and to take it slowly, I don't want to see you hurt." He reached across the table and gently caressed her face, tracing the fine lines of worry that creased her face, as if to ease them out.

"Thanks Jonathan, for being who you are, for always being there," she reached up and held his hand, pressing her face against the palm of his hand. "I love you"

The unexpected statement brought on a comfortable silence, understanding passing through both pair of heaven blue eyes. 

---------------------------------------------- 

Gabrielle had woken her up at 5 in the morning, just now, a couple of hours later had she managed to get her to sleep, Chloe stared down at the baby lying contently in her arms, then around the shabby hotel room. She had enough money to have lodged herself in a better place, but she didn't want any exposure at all. The hotel was located downtown of the city, it had been a frightful walk last night from the cab to the hotel lobby. She had never been the scared type, more like the intrepid one, but now she wasn't alone.

She smiled as she reflected on how many times that thought had crossed her mind. Of course she wasn't alone, she never would be anymore, just like her days of adventures and danger were also over.

Or so she thought

What was she going to do? Her money would eventually run out, she had to find a job. First she had to buy some food and a carriage, as much as she loved her daughter, she knew she couldn't always be carrying her around.

"Oh God," she sighed the burden of her new life beginning to sift in. she looked down at her daughter for answers. Her chubby face and pink cheeks giving them to her.

She had a lot to take care of, but not right this moment. Her eyes suddenly began to feel heavy with sleep.

For now she was going to rest. The day had only begun and she would take one thing at a time.

Before sleep took over her, laying in her bed with Gabrielle besides her and surrounded by pillows, she wondered what Gotham City had in store for her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Three weeks later-**

**Metropolis:**

He reminded her so much of Clark it hurt. It was as if his mere presence reminded her of every pain she had inflicted on him, every moment she could never take back.

She had thought time would heal her heart and erase her memories, but that redemption never came. Sure, she had made a whole new life for herself, away from Smallville, away from her past. She was now married to a man that loved her, had a beautiful house, had a great job with Lex Luthor, who she considered also a friend, but she also had Michael. Her greatest pride and joy was also her ever burning hell. She looked at the picture that stood besides her bed and took in her hands, leaning back in the pillows, her lips forming a sweet smile. Michael was smiling brightly at the camera dressed in a bunny suit, with a basket full of bright Easter eggs. He had been so proud to be the Easter bunny that he managed to convince his mom to let him sleep with the suit on, only to a warm bath did he give up that suit.

"What are you laughing at?" she looked up at her husband, realizing, upon his question that she was chuckling at the memory.

"Just remembering the trouble I had to get that suit off Michael" she smiled up at him and handed him the picture. "Remember?"

He sat besides her on the bed and also smiled at the memory. "How could I not? If it had been up to that boy he would have worn it all the way up to his wedding day!" his fine features lit up as he laughed at his own joke.

That's how Alan was, bright, cheerful and loving, to her and to Michael. She had grown to love him, he had earned that much, but for her it wasn't enough.

"I visited Martha when I was in Smallville." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she wished she could take them back, but it was too late. Alan looked up from the picture and stared patiently at Lana for her to continue. She drew in a deep breath, she had kept nothing from him, she guessed she wouldn't start now.

"I took Michael with me, I know I shouldn't have, but before I knew it I was there, in front of the house. For a moment I thought of leaving, but Michael ran out of the car, he liked the colors of the house. There was nothing I could do about it." She finished hurriedly and searched for her husband's eyes who were now caressing the picture in front of him. It seemed ages before he looked up.

"It must have been hard on you, seeing her after all these years." He tilted his head and stared intently into her eyes.

"Yes it was, Michael pretty much took over the visit, he hasn't stopped talking about her ever since." Of course she had hoped Alan wouldn't realize it was her, specially since he had barely met her in his time in Smallville. She was wrong.

"I figured it was her, 'pretty lady with blue eyes like mine and she smiled pretty daddy'" he laughed sadly. "Lana dear, you must really stop this self torture you have brought upon yourself since Clark left. If you 'ended up there' as you say you did, its probably because you wanted to tell her. Why didn't you?" his question caught her off guard.

"Um, I, because, well. I didn't want to, not before telling you I guess" She had stayed away for so long that it seemed that all this was a great big secret, only Alan could minimize whatever she blew up in her mind.

"You are asking me for permission? Lana I took you as my wife because I love you, I took Michael as my son because I love you and that little boy has won my heart, but this is your decision to make, it was three years ago and it still is now." He stood and placed the picture back on the night stand.

"Don't use me as a shield again Lana, this is your battle not mine." He bent down and kissed her forehead, running his hand through her hair. "I'll go tuck Mikey in." and with no more to say he turned and left the room leaving Lana alone with the ghosts of her past.

**Gotham City**

Lost. It was night and that's exactly what she was, lost. She pulled Gabrielle closer to her chest, fear tugging at her heart. The streets were empty, silent even, making her fear grow stronger. She should have known better than to let night catch her outside her hotel room, but money was running out and she had to get a job. Interview after interview she came back the same, disappointed and jobless. Everyone got one look at Gabrielle and proverbially ran the other way. She stopped trying to explain she could get a baby-sitter as soon as she started to work but no one seemed to listen. She was beginning to think writing was her only choice, no matter how dangerous. It was the only thing she could do without having to go to an office. She sighed, her mind made up.

She stopped at the corner of the sidewalk, looking at all four directions, trying to remember which way to go when she heard them. Footsteps. She took a deep breath a crossed the street, hurrying her pace. The footsteps did the same. Sensing the strong fear her mother felt at that moment Gabrielle woke up in tears.

"Shh, honey, please." A weird prayer found her lips. She prayed that the footsteps behind her belonged to the bums she saw during the day around these parts and were only interested in robbing her.

"Told you it was her." She could have sworn her heart stopped at that second, except that was impossible because it was at that second that she broke into a run, Gabrielle now wailing loudly. She knew she had little chance of outrunning them, but she wasn't going to go down easy.

They reached her quickly, snatching her baby from her and throwing her to the ground, ripping her blouse, skirt and hose in the process.

Six men stared down at her with menacing look on their faces. They wore dark tailored suits and stuck out like a sore thumb. One of them looked constantly around him, knowing even they could be in danger in such a place.

"Looks like you've got no place to run." One said, smiling at his un-clever remark. Chloe almost opened her mouth to let him know that he was not only unpleasant but also stupid when she realized that they had found her after all. Besides, she wasn't going to push her luck. Her eyes stayed fixed on the man holding her wailing daughter, her heart broke at her cry; she had never heard anything like it. Her baby was scared and she could do nothing to comfort her.

She took a deep breath and sighed, deciding the only chance she could have was to go willingly.

"Fine, you win, I'll go with you, just give her back to me, she's scared, and you don't want to be drawing unwanted attention around here." She stared hard at the larger man, guessing him to be leader of the pack.

He only stared at her, made a motion to the man holding her daughter and pulled out his phone. She stood and received Gabrielle in her arms, two strong arms holding her firmly.

"We've got her Mr. Luthor." Was all he said before he put the phone back in his pocket, he then motioned to his men and the whole pack of them turned back into the street. They didn't get very far. A much larger group of what could only be described as bums and druggies was strutting right towards them. Chloe felt the men stiffen and didn't know whether to be happy or scared. There was now a better possibility of getting away from them, but the group in front of her seemed a lot more menacing.

Either way she was in deep trouble.


	7. Chapter7

WARNING: This is the adult fanfic thread, but just in case I need to warn you, this chapter contains some grotesque material (at least to me it was in writing it, but felt it was necessary to understand certain actions.) This is a strong story, I don't think it wil even get to be NC-17, but at least a very strong R.

Here's the promised update!

**Gotham streets**

The confrontation came quickly, before she knew it she was free and pushed to the side. She looked up and saw the crowd closing in on them. She decided to make a run for it in the opposite direction, if she was lucky she might be able to get away from them all. The street ahead of her was empty, not offering her a lot of places to hide, she looked across the street and saw the entrance of an alley, looking both ways she ran towards it.

"Oh fk, she's getting away!" One of Lex's men shouted before a large fist connected with his face. The large man that had hit him looked up across the street to see her disappear between two buildings.

"She could have some money too, after her." He order and three men from the crowd hurried after her.

Chloe ran in what seemed like a maze, making turns left and right, completely lost. She hoped her attacker would be as well, but taking into consideration that a group of them lived here she didn't have much hope. Well, maybe she did, she could give them whatever money she had left and hope they might leave her alone, that seemed like a better choice than going back to Lex. Because no matter how many times she had excused him in the past, had forgiven him for his outbursts she had decided that enough was enough. He was a madman she realized that now and there was no telling what he would do to her if he ever found her. She had to make sure that would never happen, but for now, she just had to get to a safe place.

She rested for a second against a wall, taking deep breaths. She grimaced as a sharp pain tore through her abdomen and continued to her thigh. She sighed and forced herself to calm down. Gabrielle had calmed down as well and was searching her breast, she was hungry. Chloe had to stop herself from cursing.

"No honey, not now, okay?" She put the baby to her shoulder and looked down at her ripped blouse, revealing her maternity bra, her wet maternity bra. Gabrielle started fussing. "Yeah honey, I need to feed you to, I'm going to look like the Niagara Falls in a while." She took a deep breath and looked around her, there was no place to go.

"What if she doesn't have any money on her, it looked like those other guys had already taken care of her." A dark voice filtered through the alley maze.

"Sht!" She didn't stop herself this time.

"So we have some fun with her and that baby could be worth a lot around these parts." Her bones chilled at his tone, their footsteps and voices coming closer.

She looked frantically around and saw a large dumpster near the end of the alley. She crouched besides it, and then cursed again. She had to get Gabrielle safe first. A small trashcan was cornered against the dumpster. She opened it carefully and found it empty. She thanked whoever could be up there and carefully placed her inside.

"Shh, honey, I'll be back okay? Just please, be quiet." The child stared up at her with wide eyes, then smiled. Chloe smiled back. "Yeah, be a good baby, okay?" Tears stung at her eyes. She brushed them away, and then placed the lid back on crookedly, leaving space for air. She breathed in another silent prayer and ran towards the voices. Once out on the street She looked behind her and saw three men a good number of feet away. If her body would allow her, she might be able to outrun them. She was thinking on how to get their attention when one of them shouted.

"There she is!" And all three of them broke into a run. She ran straightforward; keeping her arms to her chest, hoping they wouldn't realize she didn't have the baby anymore.

"Agh!" She cried out in pain and put her hand hard against her groin hoping it would help subside the pain, it didn't. Her body was not willing to take too much more damage. The pain reached her legs quickly and she fell flat on her face. Hands were suddenly turning her around.

"Pretty little thing, ain't she?"

"Let me at her first."

"Hey where's the baby?"

Their voices floated around, a haze beginning to cover her senses. She groaned as she felt her blouse and bra ripped away from her, she raised her arms to try to cover herself, but it was useless. As she felt rough hands cover her breast and thighs she wished for the darkness that her pain taunted her with to finally overcome her, but that solace didn't come soon enough. They pulled her up against the wall and one continued to play with her breast, making a leering remark when he realized they were leaking milk. She opened her eyes to see him come at her with his mouth open, ready to take her in. She screamed and looked away. 

Suddenly she was on the floor again, her attackers had released her. She covered herself with her arms and watched in mid haze as her attackers fought a black clad figure. The haze around her became thicker until darkness engulfed her.

------------------------------------------------

All his life he had fought to find meaning to living, to find some justification for having survived. For so long he questioned as to why he was still alive, why his parents had died and he hadn't, why they had ceased to exist and he was still breathing. He had found some solace in his alter ego, but it didn't last long. He spent most of his time saving people's lives, rescuing them from evil or from themselves as the case may be. Night after night, day in and day out he lived for others and he lost himself. Then one lonely night when everything had seemed to lose meaning forever he was rescued in more ways than one.

It had been a night like all others, prowling the streets, as Dick liked to call it, for anything suspicious. It had been a calm week, having just imprisoned one lunatic that had been his headache for over a year. It was in those tranquil moments when life seemed to lose meaning. He realized then that he needed to feel the adrenaline of going after a bad guy or the satisfaction of having saved yet another innocent bystander in the whole mess that was life to feel that living was worthwhile. He had had these depressions before, some bouts longer and stronger than others, and it had been years since his last one. The nightmares came back, the memories haunted him every morning when he woke up or took over his thoughts in the middle of a reading or while he was listening to a client. No wonder he couldn't keep one girlfriend long enough to commit. To his eyes his way of life was his cross, his burden, one he felt the need to carry for as long as he lived.

His thoughts were dwelling upon these things when in one dark alley he heard loud noises. He immediately recognized the figures that belonged to one of the many gangs that took over the city once the sun fell in the sky. They were running out of the alley, he only caught a glimpse of the last couple of troublesomes before the group disappeared. Their behaviour seemed suspicious enough, so he deftly placed himself in one of the rooftops to oversee their destination. There, high above the alley, looking also into the street he saw the reason of their run. Several police cars had the street surrounded on both sides. He watched as the now working police department made their capture and was somehow belittled at the fact that he had nothing to do with it. He didn't realize how long he stood there, until all was silent, said silence breaking him out of his reverie.

That's when he heard it, first very faintly and due to the volume he wasn't able to identify what it was. He dropped to the floor in one smooth movement, aided, as always by his handy gadgets, his feet touched the floor and he waited until the silence reigned again.

There it was again, now a bit louder and most definitely recognizable, for someone who had heard such a noise before, so he took several steps closer towards the noise. It was a cry, high and loud, he identified where it came from and went straight towards it. In one of the trashcans, the lid was on, so he quickly took it off.

A red-faced baby lay at the bottom of the empty trashcan. Its small mouth opened widely and its eyes shut tightly, long angry tears ran down the plump cheeks. He quickly looked around as to any sign that would give him the whereabouts of this child, as if waiting for the alley to tell him the story of how this child had ended up in a trashcan. No story came, no answers appeared. He awkwardly picked the child up, not sure of how to deal with such a loud creature. He quickly realized one of his hands had to hold the head, seeing it wobbled alarmingly so. As soon as the abandoned child felt his strong hands it opened its eyes and stared at him straight in the face, the cries subsided and the stare of the child held his eyes strongly, so much he felt as if in a trance, his masked face mismatched almost comically against the round red, tear-stricken face of the child, but any funniness he might have seen in that moment was erased as he felt as if the child was assessing him, determining whether to trust him or not. Not being to stand such a strong look from such a small human being he brought the child against his shoulder and left the alley, leaving it silent and peaceful.

It had been almost two weeks since that had happened. He was now sitting at his office in his manor reliving those moments one more time. He had taken the child to the best hospital in Gotham, where they told him it was a very healthy baby girl and that she had been born no more than a week or two ago. He used his contacts to check on any possible lead for parents, in jail, in hospitals or in the streets. But no news came. The hospital had told him not to worry, that she would be placed in an orphanage and that he would be notified if anything came up.

He had said no, especially after the fact that she only seemed content around him. The connection he had felt that first night grew stronger as the days passed. To his surprise the next time he had seen the baby he had done so without the mask, and she recognized him, she stopped crying from the tortures the nurses where putting her through as soon as his face was visible to her sea blue eyes and his hand reached down to touch hers. This was one special little person, he realized with a small chuckle.

Two strong knocks were heard on the other side of the great wooden doors.

"Come in Alfred." He said as he got up to meet the butler, for he was almost certain this was about their new guest.

Alfred made his way in, his straight, long features not changing, his eyes dancing with some slight amusement his face did not reveal.

"She is crying, again sir. The nurse is trying to feed her but I am afraid that just won't do for her." This whole situation had seemed quite amusing for the old butler. Never had he seen the presence of someone affect his master so.

"Thanks Alfred, I'll be right up. Tell the nurse to hold the fort for a while." He smiled at him and sat back down at his desk.

"You are welcome sir." And with practiced elegance and silence he left the room.

Bruce fetched the bag the hospital had given him that held everything the child had had on her. It was the typical baby attire, but one caught his attention. It was an expensive looking blanket, small in size, just big enough for a newborn. On the tag was something written, but he couldn't tell very well for it had been written over sloppily with a pen, as if trying to scratch what was written. He then carefully inspected the soft pink fabric. There, on the other side, was something written, apparently in permanent marker, close to the edge.

GABRIELLE S.

He stared at the name, rolling it in his mind. Strong, full of purpose, he decided it suited it her, that's when another thought entered his mind. Definitely this was a child born into a high crib, were her parents looking for her? If so, why hadn't anything come up on the news? Was she kidnapped?

Many questions filtered his mind concentrating mainly on the parents of such a beautiful and special child that was now in his care. He didn't know why fate had sent her here, with him, with such a monster, as he sometimes considered himself.

He did not know where this would lead, but for now he knew a child was waiting for him upstairs, wanting his presence, depending on him for security and life. He had never had that before and he wasn't sure how he was going to deal with


	8. chapter 8

**Metropolis**

Pete Ross looked up at the apartment building, that's where he would get some answers. Ever since he had joined the police force a couple years ago, his main goal had been only one, bring Lex Luthor down. Of course this was not the job his parents had thought for him, or even himself when he was younger, but so many years of helping Clark save people and the glory of finding the truth took their toll. He made his way into the building and finally reached the door of his past. Despite the fact that he knew what his meeting might mean to his investigation, he was also full aware of his nervousness of meeting again an old face, a face that had pushed his best friend away.

He took a deep breath and rang the bell a few times, and then stood back and waited for an answer. He hears noised coming from the inside, like someone running. Small footsteps stopped on the other side of the door. The door swung open with some force. He was greeted by a mischievous smile coming from a small child, just big enough to reach the door knob.

"I told you not to open the door!" a dark haired woman went straight to pick the child up. Once he was in her arms she proceeded to scold him, completely ignoring Pete. "How many times have I told you not to open the door, you never know who it might be"

"I wanted it to be daddy" the boy pouted and looked at Pete, he was obviously not his dad. The woman now looked at the man she had waiting on the other side of the door. A look of surprise and sudden shame crossed her features.

"Pete?"

"Hi Lana." 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

"You idiots!" Lex raged and slammed his fist on the large wooden desk, his hand almost crushing his phone. "This is an easy task, I can't believe you'd not be capable of carrying it out!" he listened, but what was said on the other side of the line did not please him at all. "Find her, child or no child just find her!" He slammed the phone down and sat back in his chair. So she was alone now, scared and alone. What had she done with the child? He questioned himself, but was not too worried about it, he had made sure his connection to his daughter was stronger than distance. He had to get Chloe back. His men had spotted her in Edge City; apparently she had taken quite the task of giving them a run for their money.

He was close; he could feel it, close to his victory, close to his best time yet. But before that could come, she had to be by his side.


	9. Chapter 9

**Somewhere in Edge City...**

She was tired of running, but she had to stay as far away from Lex as was possible. She crouched in the corner of the dark janitor's room where she was hiding from his men. She had ended up in Edge city after having been spotted in Gotham by what seemed in her opinion, human dogs that never gave up the chase. It was the first time she was somehow glad Gabrielle wasn't with her; there was no way she could have pulled off such stunts with her in arms.

A soft whimper escaped her lips as her heart matched in thought what her head was remembering, except her heart took it with less objectiveness. She crossed the room and stared at herself in the dirty mirror, her hair was completely undone, its usual perkiness was dead and just hung right above her shoulders. She looked down at the sink and the objects she had managed to get once she had lost those rabid dogs. Her intrepidness was back, she was alone and although at first she had thought of giving up because of it, she now refused to go back. All of her ties of her life with Lex were now lost, a chance to start over was given to her, and she was going to take it.

She never knew who saved her, next thing she remembered she was in a hospital. It was there that she found out of her little girl's fate. The visit of such a celebrity as was Bruce Wayne brought enough buzz that the nurses made sure to find out everything they could and pass it on. She left as soon as was possible, her medical condition and an abandoned child was like adding one and one.

She had stuck around in Gotham long enough to know her daughter would be okay, At first she was hesitant at leaving her with yet another could-be-crazy billionaire, but he didn't use the media, leaving Gabrielle out of the news and Lex's reach. It was then that she knew that the only way to keep her safe was to stay away from her, and she would, even if she had to live with her heart ripped in two.

-------------------------------------------------

"Why are you so sure I want to help you?" Lana was fighting back the tears after Pete had told her of his suspicions on Lex's activities.

"Because I know you, and you were friends with Chloe once and with me, and because I know you hate injustices as much as I do, and if you add to that to the fact that your husband also suspects of something tricky going on, you can't refuse." Pete searched for her eyes, knowing this had to be a hard blow for her.

An awkward silence passed through them and Lana seemed to struggle with herself.

"Why didn't Alan tell me anything? I guess he thought I wouldn't believe him." She answered her own question.

"Or maybe he just wanted to keep you safe, but bringing Lex down is not going to be easy and we need all the help we can get. You are his personal assistant, Alan is his chief engineer, and there must be something we can do." Pete pleaded with her. He felt a bit guilty from bringing her into this, but he knew, more than anyone, that this was going to take a lot of time and manpower.

Lana took a deep sigh, she knew that what Pete was telling her was the truth, she had justified Lex for so long that she had blinded herself to the facts that were revealed to her.

"Fine, but with one condition, don't tell Alan I am in this." Pete smiled as Lana looked away, lost in her thoughts. Pete rose to leave.

"One last question Lana." Lana looked at him. "Is Michael Clark's?" Lana blanched as she took a deep breath. There was no sense in lying anymore, day by day Michael looked more like Clark.

"Yes." A simple word was all he needed.

"Keep him away from Lex, please Lana, before its too late." Before she could reply he was closing the door behind him.


	10. chapter 10

**6 months later...**

**Wayne Enterprises.**

"Good morning Mr. Wayne" the lobby receptionist greeted him with a smile and a set of folders.

"Good morning Jennifer," he took the folders and looked at the blonde for an explanation.

"Applicants sir, for your secretary, some have already arrived and are waiting for you in your office's lobby." She smiled brightly and picked up a ringing phone.

"Thank you." He mouthed to her and she waved back in response. He took his private elevator, once in his office he sat down the stack of folders and grabbed the first in the stack.

**Wayne Mansion**

Dyck stretched his muscles as he slowly came to of where he was. The couch underneath him cringed at the shift of his weight and his sore bones cracked almost simultaneously. He sat up and ran his hand through his already ruffled hair. It was Monday, that much went through his groggy head, two days after he had come back from his year long investigation trip. Bruce had insisted on him having a college degree.

That still didn't explain why he had slept on a couch when there where at least 20 bedrooms with perfectly good beds on them. He looked around at the bright pink room. Bright pink? Ah, now he remembered, a huge mahogany crib came into his eyesight.

"Yeah, that's what I remember." The baby Bruce had adopted, much to his surprise and chagrin, had been sick all night and they had taken turns on her to give her baths for the fever and her medication for the ear infection and fever. He yawned and walked up to the crib.

"How's the little intruder doing this morning?" a baby and a girl was the last person he thought would enter their action packed, dysfunctional family. He had nothing against babies, just as long as he was nowhere near one. They were one thing he did not know how to handle.

Gabrielle gurgled what seem like an answer to him.

"Feeling better I see." Her cheeks were rosy again, a smile danced on her eyes and she let out a small surprised giggle and her eyes registered the sight of the man hovering over her bed.

"You laughing at me? Yeah well, wait until you grow out of that baby face, you'll look like this in the morning too."

She let out a loud chortle.

"Yeah, I guess it's a long way off huh?"

She laughed and snorted softly, waving her arms in the air and moving her head.

"Oh so you're calling me old then, huh? Well I will have you know that I am in my best years, you can't even walk yet!"

She giggled and let out loud bubbles from her mouth.

"Now you're making fun of me?" he looked around in exasperation and prepared a reply when he saw Alfred standing in front of the door.

"How long have you been standing there?" he stammered, just realizing he had been talking practically to himself.

"Long enough to know you lost this discussion since the beginning master Grayson." His monotone did nothing to hide his dancing eyes.

"Yeah, well, she's feeling better, thought I might amuse her a bit." He shifted uncomfortably then he said something that sounded like a goodbye and left the room hurriedly.

Alfred let a small smile escape his lips leaning over to carry the child. She didn't protest as he examined her carefully. He felt her forehead and the back of her neck, then pressed softly around her left ear.

"The fever's gone; the infection might have retreated then. Time for you breakfast and medicine, we can never be too safe. Master Wayne isn't here, so old Alfred will have to do." She giggled in acceptance; his calm voice and soft touch soothed her. She happily nestled in the crook of his arm reaching up her small hands for her milk. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

He had already gone through seven files and seven women. Too old, too young, not enough experience, one or two maybe worth the time; and he had yet to see another 10 or so. He called on his speaker for the next one, he sat and waited for her to arrive.

It had been a long time since he had done this, probably since he started as head of the company. Human resources usually took care of the interviews, except when it came to his trusted personnel, his secretary being one of them. His last one had lasted a good seven years and left for family reasons, so he was kind of rusty at doing this.

He heard a clearing throat and he looked up, realizing he had been lost in thought. Never one to apologize to employees or future ones for the matter, he proceeded with the interview.

He stood to greet her.

"Miss Jacqueline Foreman" she extended her hand and met his in a strong handshake. Dark eyes met soft green ones. The handshake broke and he motioned for her to take a seat.

"Miss Foreman, why do you wish to work for Wayne enterprises?"

"Wayne Enterprises is one to the top 10 richest companies in the world, your marketing reach and sales are worldwide and your products are, in the majority of the cases, #1 in sales and quality. In the past year alone your sales in your feature product was in the high 5 billion of dollars. This is the place to put one's mind to work and succeed." She had spoken too much. She cursed herself inwardly.

Bruce put his list of questions down and a few new ones were formulated in his head as he heard the dark haired woman in front of him rant off information of his company. He gave her a second take. Shoulder length dark curly hair, worn simply down, curls framing her face. Her skin was tanned, giving her a soft golden touch to her overall look. She wasn't very tall, and her features seemed like any other woman's, which would explain why she seemed almost insignificant at first, but now she filled up the room.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat at his scrutiny.

"Well, you speak as if you know this business, but then, that information is available to anyone who is interested in economics, but a secretary should worry more on typing skills and making coffee, don't you think?" his smug tone got to her.

"An efficient secretary must not only be able to do so, but also know of the business her boss is in to and be a help to the company itself. I thought a company of this magnitude would have higher standards for the chief CEO's secretary." She wouldn't let herself be intimidated.

"And we do miss; don't get me wrong, please. In the business there's no amount of safety that's enough, one never knows when their information has been compromised or leaked out. Here at Wayne Enterprises the security issue is very important. Sorry if I offended you in any way. Should we continue?" his tone softened, she was bright, but he had to make sure.

She briefly nodded as he continued on to the next question.

**Metropolis, that night.**

Lana paced back and forth on her living room. Alan hadn't arrived and the situation of the past months had both of them nervous to say the least. He had found out she was searching for incriminating information a couple weeks after she had started, at first he was mad, then they came to a compromise and formed a team to infiltrate LuthorCorp.

She was especially nervous that night, things at the office had been tense and she could sense something had gone terribly wrong. She hadn't heard from Pete for two weeks now, and the information they had acquired had been surprising for them both, but also a warning of what Lex was capable of doing.

She turned as she heard the doorknob turn. She reached for the lights and a scared Alan came to sight.

"What's wrong?" she reached for him.

"We need to get out of here, now. Just grab Michael and let's go." He leaned down and kissed her hard and briefly. "Go!" The urgency in his voice scared Lana and she quickly went for Michael. A minute later she came out with Michael in her arms, his head draped over her shoulder, still asleep.

"Go on ahead; I need to get the files." He gave her a pair of car keys she didn't recognize and pushed her out the door. "Just go, Pete will be meeting us downstairs." Questions raged through her brain, but he had already closed the door.

She quickly reached for the elevator; it opened and delivered them to the lobby. The elevator doors had just closed behind them when a loud explosion was heard, followed almost immediately by falling debris of the roof on top of them. She ran as fast as she could to the exit and was thrown on the street by a second explosion. She lay unconscious on the street, Michael a few feet away from her, also flat on the street.

The few cars that passed by that late at night stopped to watch the scene unfolding. The apartment building was in flames, two bodies lay on the street in front.

"Yes, 911? There's been an explosion on Grand street, Apartment building 45. Yes, there are people outside injured, maybe dead."


	11. chapter 11

"Argh!"

Another pain tore through Clark's body as he felt weakness set in. He rolled on to his back and suddenly felt the coldness of the floor. In all the time he had been there the low temperatures had never affected him and now he felt as if his skin would freeze.  
He looked desperately around to see any sign of kryptonite but all he saw was ice, crystals and water. He had no idea what was happening to him, and he doubted the recorded memories of his parents would help him any. He took a deep breath and struggled to get up.

He managed to get to the platform where the crystals were. He sat and tried to analyze what he was feeling. Pain, that was a given, but he also felt a rising pressure in his chest, a deep agony and sadness he did not understand. Was it all supposed to end here?

He let out a scream, only to pass out seconds later.

**Smallville a few hours later**

"Is he going to be okay?" Pete asked, his eyes revealing the great sadness and anger he felt.

"I don't know Pete, I'm doing my best." Martha looked up with questioning eyes. "What happened? Why did you bring him here, and why don't you let me get a doctor? And where's Lana?" she looked at Jonathan for support.

His jaw clenched as he made up his mind whether to open up to the Kents or not.

"It's a long story that I don't have time to tell but I can tell you that he is in danger, his parents are probably dead and I had no one else to trust." He had been lucky to arrive when he had, He was exiting his cab when the building exploded. He was only able to retrieve Michael, the streets quickly filled with bystanders.

"What kind of trouble are you in Pete? This child needs attention and we can't guarantee Martha can save him, he need professional help." Jonathan looked worried as his mind tried to come up with a solution.

"Maybe he just needs rest, he has to be okay." He looked down at Michael, unconscious on the living room couch.

His small face was full of scratches and wounds, his head covered in blood. His pajamas were ripped and the skin of his legs and arms were a mix of blood, debris and dirt.

"He has a severe head concussion for god's sake, resting won't help!" Martha got up and headed for the kitchen for the cloths she had put to boil. She came back shortly and started cleaning his wounds.

"He'll be fine, he has to be." Pete said adamantly.

"What makes you so sure?" Jonathan watched as Martha carefully cleaned the head wound.

"He's Clark's son"

**Luthor Tower - morning **

_ Late last night an apartment building on Grand Street was destroyed by a gas explosion on the third and first floor. The number of deaths were 4, with several dozen severely wounded and more injured. One of the bodies found was that of Alan Westside, Chief engineer of Lex Corp, his wife, Lana Westside, personal assistant of Lex Luthor himself is in coma with very low chances of survival.._

The T.V. went dead, Lex Luthor stared at the blank screen.

"My, my this city is so unsafe nowadays." He muttered to himself as he walked to the window, giving him the sight of the entire city.

There was no stopping him now, he had learned his final lesson, you can't trust anyone, and he wouldn't.

Chloe filtered his thoughts out of nowhere, like she normally did. His jaw clenched and he narrowed his eyes. She would come back to him; sooner or later he would be complete.


	12. Chapter 12

**Gotham City**

Night had fallen quickly in Gotham, enveloping the already dark city in a blackness challenged only by the bright colors and neon lights of the gangs that came to life at night. It was a dangerous city to say the least; true, over the past few years more precautions had been taken and alliances had been formed to protect its citizens, but it was a long way before it became safe, so it was a long way before he would cease to be useful.

Batman watched the city from the highest building in the darkest part of the city. The alleys there were illuminated by black lights that only added to the creepy feeling the neighborhood emanated. He then swiftly moved from rooftop to rooftop, making sure the gangs were at least making no harm.

Something then caught his eye; a small figure was walking quickly down the street, heading straight to the alleys. He looked up beyond the street and saw an old apartment building. Anyone who lived there usually would take the long way, just to not pass through those crime-ridden alleys; apparently this was not the case.

He moved close enough to depict the sight of a woman, dressed sharply, soft, tight curls bounced over her shoulders as her legs moved quickly over the sidewalk. At that moment a group of young men stepped out of one of the alleys, heading straight towards her. He didn't think twice and swung down to save her the trouble of confronting the ruffians.

He swung his arm out and grabbed her by the waist; a loud cry of surprise was heard as she looked up at her rescuer. _Thought that was you, Miss Foreman_, he thought as he was met with angry green eyes. He let her down on the rooftop; as soon as she felt something solid under her feet she pushed him roughly away.

"What was that for Batboy?" her reaction surprised him, but he didn't let it show.

"This is no place for a lady, the city streets are dangerous at this time of night." He said in his low guttural form of a voice.

"And who told you I was a lady? I can take care of myself perfectly well." Her face let on a stubborn look. "Look, thanks, but no thanks okay? I don't need more men with superhero complexes." She straightened out her skirt and looked around. "How am I supposed to get down from here?" Truth was it had never gotten dark on her before, no one more than her knew how dangerous it could get at night.

He noticed her nervous drabble and stepped closer, she turned quickly and he was suddenly affronted with her soft pearl skin. She just looked at him unmoved.

"Allow me" he said seriously stretching out his arm, she let out a grunt and moved into his chest, grabbing a hold of his neck as his arms closed around her waist. He straightened his other arm toward the next rooftop and a wire shot out, nailing itself on a high pole.

"And it's Batman."

**Kent Farm, the next day**

It had been a long night and day tending for Michael. Martha hadn't known how he would react; Clark had never been that sick as a boy, so she had no idea how strong his defenses were. He had held through the night with only a moment of high fever, which receded quickly to a cold shower. He slept most of the day, the bleeding having stopped since morning, and by late afternoon the swelling had lowered as well, but he still hadn't opened his eyes.

It was already dark and the three adults had congregated in the kitchen to survey the situation. They had heard the medias' version of the blast, slightly unsettled at the fact that Michael's dissapearence wasn't mentioned.

"The wound has cleaned up quickly and nicely, but he still hasn't regained consciousness." Martha said with a worried tone, leaning tiredly against the sink.

"Then all we can do is wait." Jonathan said, staring at Pete who was walking up and down the kitchen.

"I don't have much time, I have to leave." He said running a nervous hand over his head.

"Wait, are you going to take him?" Martha asked.

"He won't be safe here, neither you nor I want him to end in Lex Luthor's hands, do we?" a severe tone covered his voice. "Look, Lana is in a coma that is going to be very hard to survive,I have no time to tell you what Lex is capable of, from what you already know should be enough. Michael is not normal, we don't even know exactly what he is, half human half alien? What can that mean?" he swung his arm to point at the sleeping form of the boy on the living room couch.

"As soon as that kid wakes up we are getting away from all of this, at least until Lex can forget about him. And I know you will help me." He pleaded with them. Jonathan and Martha exchanged looks, he nodded, but she only grunted and walked away from them.

_This is Clark's son_, she thought as she stared at his sleeping face. This was her only tie to him now and she was resistant to let him go, but reason got the best of her as she analyzed what would be best for the child. She lowered her head, feeling defeated.

"Pretty lady?" a soft voice made her head snap up. Soft blue eyes met hers. "Is it morning already?" Michael asked, taking in his surrounding quickly.

"Morning?" she realized his last memories must had been from the night before. "it's the next day, yes." She said touching his cheek.

"Did I miss my party?" by then Jonathan and Pete had heard the exchange and moved to the living room. Martha looked questioningly at Pete.

"It's his birthday today."

**Somewhere north**

Clark suddenly jumped from the floor where he had been laying. The pain was gone and a surge of energy passed strongly through his body. He flexed his hands and smiled as he came to the conclusion that his strength and health was back. Confusion furrowed his eyebrows as he wondered what that had been.  
He stood and quickly went to the board of crystals; maybe he could find some explanation.

**Kent Farm**

A small bunt cake she had made the night before became a festive birthday cake within a few minutes. A hurried Pete cut the celebration short.

"Where's mommy?" he asked Martha, sensing he was leaving. Her heart twisted, but she took a deep breath and tried to come up with a good reason for him to leave with Pete.

"Look, mommy won't be able to go with you this time. You have to go with this man, his name is Pete, and he will take care of you."

"Is he a friend of my mom?"

"Yes honey, he is a friend." His smart eyes looked intensely at her.

"Don't worry, pretty lady, I will come visit you, I promise." He said, giving her a quick peck in the cheek and walking towards Pete.

Jonathan swung his arm around her shoulders as they watched them leave.

**A week later – Metropolis Hospital.**

The intense beeping covered the otherwise silent room. Lex sat watching the unconscious form on the bed. He had every specialist on her case; he wanted to make sure she survived. She was alone and in his hands now, her husband had died and her son was nowhere to be found. He would make her pay.


	13. Chapter 13

**Metropolis**

"Where are you Chloe?" Lois broke her self imposed silence and slapped down the latest edition of The Planet on her desk. She growled in frustration and let out a frustrated scream. Her small apartment wasn't very acoustic, so the sound died around her almost immediately. Just like her leads.

Her desk was littered with newspaper clippings all telling the same story. Chloe had been found, demented, in a neighboring city. They had reached her in time and prevented her from killing her daughter. She had been put in a mental institution and had been there ever since.

That wasn't the truth and Lois knew it.

For one she had never been allowed to visit her or her niece, there was always an excuse. Then Lex had practically dropped from the public eye, only making appearances in the newspapers through a select group of paparazzi, mostly when he went to visit his wife or some private time with his daughter; and a few ones in public, alone. This all made her more than suspicious and she started to investigate. Not to mention her last encounter with Chloe, she was panicked not demented. Something just wasn't right.

She worked so hard that in the process she managed to land other stories connected to Lex, stories that impressed the editor of The Planet enough to offer her a job. So she worked, landed stories and looked for Chloe.

She became known as the link to Lex Luthor, any story concerning him was usually given to her. At first she didn't mind, but after four years she felt dangerously obsessed with the man, formulating plans of what to do to get information on him once she got her hands on him. She knew exactly what to do and to what length to take things, and that was exactly what scared her.

She knew she would stop at nothing to bring him down.

Had it really been that long? Lex stared at the calendar on his desk marking the anniversary of her disappearance. Marking the exact moment when he had lost control over her. He swung the glass in his hand slightly, making its contents swirl close to the edge. That's how he felt without her, at the edge of a steep hill, the wind flailing him back and forth, only taunting him of his demise. She had been his emotional strength, why didn't she understand that? She had called him a monster, evil incarnate, didn't she realize he was worse without her? Her conversation had always kept his head clear, her wit had kept him in touch with the world around him, her body had sated the beast inside him.

Why didn't she understand?

He needed her to feel human enough to make others see that aspect in him.

Without her he was still Lex Luthor, but in the past years his public appearances had dwindled significantly, he didn't feel capable of creating a human front. Here in isolation he let himself go, everyone around him smart enough to not complain, the world felt sorry enough for him to let him be. After all his wife was demented and he had to be a single father.

He chuckled bitterly as he stared at the headline in the paper.

**Lex Luthor Visits Asylum**

That was the one part of the charade he had made up that made him feel normal, his visits to the asylum. Funny how at home he felt with the crazies. He sighed and the laugh died in his throat.

4 years, even the most compassionate people would think that was just a little bit under too long. He had to make a comeback, but how could he? He was a man who enjoyed pleasures society would surely squirm about. He was a sadist, twisted and sick. How could he hide that without Chloe?

He stared at the paper again, he then straightened in his chair and took the paper in his hand looking for the byline. Lois Lane.

Why wasn't he surprised? She had been relentless in her pursuit of everything that was him mirroring his own secret search for his wife. He mulled for a second, drink forgotten.

No one could ever take his wife's place, but Lois Lane could come close enough.

**Gotham City – Wayne Corp.**

"Miss. Foreman, could you bring me the financial report for this month?" Bruce Wayne's voice sounded over the small speaker on the secretary's desk.

"Yes sir," her reply was short and she immediately opened a drawer and took out a manila folder. She then walked to the tall double doors and knocked firmly before entering.

"Come in Miss. Foreman, please sit. We need to review this before presenting it to the board of directors." Jacqueline sat and opened the folder on the desk.

"Read it please." He said, hearing the numbers helped him organize his ideas and his own numbers in his head and he knew that she was able to find mistakes that way.  
She straightened her wide rimmed glasses and began to read clearly.

"Financial report for the month of ..." her voice continued and began to register in the subconscious of Bruce as different thoughts filtered his mind.

He had hired her out of certain curiosity, he had to admit, she had turned out to be very efficient, but more mysterious that he would have ever thought. No one knew much about her, he thought he was probably the one to know her best, having saved her several times and investigated her some others. She had a clean slate, apparently perfectly average; too average, too clean. There was more to her that met the eye, he knew.

Their meetings had been strictly business; she didn't attend office parties and was very protective of her privacy. She lived alone and in the years she had worked there no one had known her to have a boyfriend or even a friend at all. Every morning when she came in he could read a certain flame of angst and sadness in her eyes, then she would start working and it would disappear under a shield of determination and efficiency.

She had finished the reading and was writing something on the papers in front of her.

"Thanks Miss. Foreman. Make the corrections and have the folders with the copies ready by 5." She nodded and got up to leave.

"Jacqueline," he called out to her, his tone changing only a bit. She turned slowly, no one called her by her first name. "We are having the presentation of the new product in two weeks, would you like to accompany me?" he watched as she hesitated, having caught her off guard had been a good move after all.

"Mr. Wayne, I .."

"It'll be held at my house and I will be needing you to give the details to some potential clients, what do you say?"

She straightened up and her heart skipped a beat.

"Yes, it would be a pleasure." Her face maintained her cool demeanor she then let herself out.

She sat at her desk and took a deep breath, letting out the tension she had been keeping inside. A better chance would be hard to get, after all this time the opportunity had finally risen to get her daughter back.

**Smallville – Kent farm**

A tall man walked slowly up the dirt road that led to the farmhouse. He carried a large suitcase in one hand and a leather portfolio in the other. His suit was dark and sharp, contrasting with the bright and colorful surroundings of the farmland.  
He stopped at the bottom of the step taking in the house before he stepped on the porch. Nothing much had changed, everything looked only a little bit older but it was still the same. He was the one that had changed, his journey had changed him, but he had to come back.

"Martha, I'm going to the barn to get some tools, that pipe is really giving me a hard time." A voice was heard from the inside and a man came to sight behind the screen door. He noticed him and opened the door slowly.

"Good morning sir, how can I help you?" his hair was gray now, he noticed, his face a bit more furrowed by wrinkles than he remembered. A woman then came up from behind him. She was still beautiful that was a fact.

"Who is it Jonathan?" she asked and looked at the man standing below their porch steps.

Silence reigned as the man walked up the stairs. He looked to be in his late 20's, was very tall and glasses rimmed his square face.

"Its me, Clark" a small voice was barely heard. Martha walked up to him slowly taking in his face. Recognition hit her as she settled on his eyes.

"Oh Clark!" she exclaimed, a tear running down her cheek, throwing her arms around his wide frame.

Jonathan smiled, containing the tears that threatened to surface, closing his arms around them both. "Welcome home son."


	14. Chapter 14

Rrring!!

It was his private cell phone, only Alfred and Dyck used that number and for emergencies only. His heart twisted at the thought of something being wrong with Gabrielle, a feeling that was at first so new to him, but now it was constant and not entirely unwelcome. Then again, it could be a lead for a criminal; he hoped it was the latter.

"Yes," he answered simply. Dyck's voice replied at the other end of the line.

"Bruce, remember how strangely quiet the gangs had been?" he didn't bother with salutations, and went straight to the point. "Well, it looks like they are very much organized, rumor has it they are planning something big. " This was alarming; the gangs had never been organized by themselves.

"This can't mean anything good, what else did you find out?" he asked.

"Only that they have a leader, and the word out is that it's a woman. Bruce, we need to keep an eye out for her, our possible suspects are none to ladylike if you know what I mean." His voice was low and filled with meaning.

"Daddy?!" a small voice was heard behind Dyck's.

"What are you doing here?" Dyck sounded alarmed. "Get out, you can't be here!" His voice had risen almost an octave and a half.

"Dyck, how many times have I told you she can't be in the cave?" Bruce sounded firm.

"I didn't let her in, I don't know how she does it, but she always manages to get in, sorry, Bruce, we'll talk later."

"Daddy, I want daddy!" she was pulling at his leg. How she had known it was Bruce was beyond him. "This kid is too smart for her own good." He said into the phone.

"Let me talk to her, put her on the phone." A knock was heard and Jacqueline peeked her head in. He acknowledged her and let her in; this was a safe conversation anyways.

"Gaby honey, how many times have I told you not go in there?" his voice was stern but sweet-laced with love.

Jacqueline walked in and dropped a folder on his desk, turning to leave quickly.

"Thanks Ms. Foreman." He managed to say before turning back to his daughter.

"No problem," she answered shakily, her eyes watering all of a sudden. He didn't notice it, turning quickly back to the conversation at hand.

"Like a hundred." A small clear voice responded him.

"So why are you in there?"

"I wanted to talk to you, uncle talks to you, and I wanted to talk to you, not allowed?" this was her new word for the week.

"No, honey, not allowed, daddy has special things in there, and you could get hurt" he said thinking of the platform, and the car, and the suits, and the computers, and everything he kept there that wasn't child-proof.

"You don't like me getting hurt, huh daddy?" her sense of perception and comprehension had stunned them all, but they had gotten used to it.

"No honey, I love you too much for that. When you want to talk to me you can ask Alfred or uncle to call me, or if you really want to see me, you can come visit me. How would you like that?" He asked, sitting back in his chair. That little piece of person had stolen his heart from the first moment, now all three men belonged completely to her, although some were quicker to deny it.

"Yes!" she giggled.

"Very good, deal? But promise me, no more excursions in there, promise?"

"Promise daddy." She said seriously. "Bye daddy!"

"Love you honey."

He heard her sent him a kiss and the line went dead after that. A smiled lingered on his face for the rest of the afternoon.

She couldn't help but listen in, a knot at her throat threatening to make her cry, but she swallowed it firmly as she sat back down at her desk. She couldn't have this change any of her plans; she had been postponing it long enough.

**Kent farm**

"Oh honey, I am so glad you are back. For a moment there we thought we had lost you." Martha said, not bothering to contain the tears that flowed freely down her face.

"I could never just forget about you. You made me who I am now, I just needed to find my place." He replied, caressing his mother's face tenderly.

"And have you son?" Jonathan asked from the couch across from them. They were now all sitting around the living room, they all had a lot of catching up to do.

"Yes father, I think I finally have. In my time up north I learned a lot about myself and where I come from, and I also realized how important you two are in my life." He smiled softly.

"Tell us everything Clark; I want to know what we missed out on." Martha said eager to get to know this older version of her son.

"Before that, I think we need to tell him Martha." Her face grew sad and she lowered her eyes.

"I was so excited I forgot about for a second." She admitted.

"Tell me what?" had something happened to his friends? He worried.

"Clark there is no easy way to say this, but, well its about Lana." After all he had been through he was able to hear her name without his heart ripping in two. Sincere concern covered his face.

"What about her? Is she okay?"

"Well, she is okay for now, or so we think. She works for Lex, her husband Alan, you remember him right?" Martha continued.

How could he forget him?

"She married him?"

"Yes, after she found out she was pregnant, with your child." Martha retold him the story Lana had told Pete.

Clark blinked in confusion.

"Pregnant?" he repeated softly.

"We didn't find out until a couple of years ago, when it all happened." Martha took a deep breath; she knew this wasn't going to be easy. She went ahead. "Pete asked Lana and her husband to help him bring some shady business on Lex to the public light, according to Pete, Lex found out and had them killed." Clark practically jumped at this. "Lana made it, barely, her husband didn't and Pete took Michael and brought him here, he was in such a bad shape..."

"Michael?" he interrupted, he realized he must sound like an idiot but she was going too fast for him to assimilate anything solid.

Martha and Jonathan exchanged a small smile.

"Yes son, that's his name, Michael." Jonathan answered him.

"I have a son?" he asked, apparently nothing else of the story had seeped in, yet. "Is he with Lana?" the rest of the information settling in. "Are they okay?"

"Pete took him, thinking Lana wouldn't make it. But she did, and returned working for Lex under who knows what conditions." Jonathan couldn't hide his anger.

"Pete writes to us once in a while, always from a different place. We didn't want Lex's attention on the child, so we agreed with him that it was best he disappear for a while. I wasn't to up for the idea." Trying to defend the fact that his son wasn't with them.

"This is too much, I have a son? Somehow I thought..." he didn't know what to think, only that he had a lot of questions he hadn't thought of asking his biological parents. Then another thought came to mind.

"What about Chloe? And Lex, I can't believe what I just heard mom, he was a friend." He looked very anguished.

Martha sighed deeply and looked to Jonathan for moral support.

Jonathan spoke.

"Chloe has been missing for over four years now. She married Lex about two years after you left. After she gave birth to their daughter she ran away, then was found." he paused, not sure how to say it. "She's in an asylum Clark, we don't know how much to beleive since no one outside of Lex and their daughter are allowed to see her. He claims she went crazy" Clark couldn't believe his ears, had everything just gone so wrong?

"And about Lex, you better start getting used to the idea that he is no longer the friend you left, he has harmed a lot of people." Jonathan got up and sat besides Clark, putting an arm around his back.

They sat in silence for a minute, giving Clark some time to assimilate the situation. Suddenly Clark stood.

"I need to go." Martha jumped at his word, quick to hold him back.

"Don't worry mom, I will be back, can I leave my stuff here?" he asked kindly, smiling when relief washed over her face.

"Where are you going?" Jonathan asked

"To get some answers."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Wayne Corp.**

The day was coming to an end at the office. Jacqueline took her glasses off and massaged the bridge of her nose and her forehead. It had been a long and extenuating day. She sighed as she closed the document down from her computer to turn off the system.

The elevator rang and loud voices were heard from the reception area. She looked up and leaned in her chair to see what was going on. Several secretaries had formed a circle around a young man, all gooing and gaaing over something he had.

"Come on ladies, I really have to get through, why don't we leave this for later, huh?" he asked, winking at them.

"Don't get your hopes up Mr. Grayson, why don't you leave us this doll here and you can go in and see Mr. Wayne." One of the secretaries suggested.

"Okay, just don't mess with her hair so much, last time Alfred and I broke a brush trying to undo what one of you did to her!" he laughed and made his way out of the circle, which closed quickly behind him.

"Women and kids, there's gotta be something there for me take advantage off!" He talked to himself as he walked toward her desk.

"Hey Jacqueline, is Mr. Wayne available?" He was the only one to ignore her coldness.

"Sure Mr. Grayson, he's been expecting you." She replied, putting on a game face she had learned long ago.

As soon as he vanished behind the door, she hurried to close her computer. She was here, this was always the hardest part, but she had to take this chance, even if it was small and did nothing for her pain every night.

She quickly stood up and walked toward the women. One of them was carrying a four year old, making her viewable for everyone. Her dress was soft blue, matching the small bows that held her hair in two red curly pig tails on top of her head. An ear to ear smile was on her face, showing how happy she was for getting so much attention.

She watched away from the group, only seeing, that was as much as she allowed herself to do.

Bruce and Dyck didn't take long to join the group, or maybe they had, but she hadn't noticed the time that had gone by.

"Daddy!!!" the young girl screamed and struggled to free herself from her holder. The woman gave in and put her on the floor, she was quick to cover the short distance between her and Bruce.

Her boss's face changed radically, a wide smile sat on his mouth and his eyes danced with so much joy the scene became unbearable for her. He picked her up easily, under his wide frame she seemed to disappear in his arms. She hugged his neck tightly and planted a kiss on his cheek, smiling directly at Jacqueline.

This was too much, she ran for the stairs, hoping no one had seen her. She ran to the lobby and out into the street. She ran until her legs practically gave out from under her. She stumbled and fell on her knees. The pain on her knees triggered the cascade of feelings she had kept inside for so long and tears flowed freely.

Had she lost her?


	15. Chapter 15

She didn't recognize the image glaring at her. When had she changed so much? 4 years had taken its toll on her and she hadn't realized it until now. She had been foolish enough to think that everything was the same in her, but they weren't. Her physical appearence had changed, she had taken care of that herself, letting her hair grow, dying it several shades darker and perming it, letting dark rimmed glasses hide her eyes. She had tried contact lenses, only to find out she had really sensible eyes, so she opted for the glasses. Her now thin frame had been the visible scar her pregnancy and empty motherhood had left her. But now, staring at herself in the mirror she saw scars she had tried hard to ignore. Deep scars had changed her being, her soul. She laughed silently at her foolishness. She had really thought that once she had gotten this over with, she could go back to being who she was, in hiding, but still being herself.

Now she knew the truth, she could never be herself again Chloe Sullivan was dead. The only remnant of that person was being raised by the most extraordinary man she had ever met. Chloe would have faltered at that, but not Jacqueline. She was the only piece of herself that she hadn't lost altogether; she wasn't going to give her up.

The image from earlier that night still flashed angrily in her head, she couldn't allow herself to stand by while she lost her only hope.

She walked out of the bathroom and reached for the phone.

It was time for action, not for tears.

--------------------------------

He had been hesistant as to where to go first, but no matter how many superpowers he had, splitting up in four wasn't one of them. But the one nagging question on his mind since he left his parents' farm had made the decision for him. How could it be possible for him to have a son? His biological parents had warned him against giving his heart to a human, they said the relationship would bare no fruit and would only cause pain and destruction. He sighed as he turned in flight towards the ice castle now in sight. From his experience with his biological parents he should have know that every truth had a hidden meaning. Well he was about to find out.

He landed on the entrance and made his way inside to the console. He placed one of the crystals in the center, a holographic image of his parents appeared before him.

"I have just been told I have a son, is that possible?" he went straight to the matter at hand. The image of his mother spoke.

"My son, we were hopeful this matter would never come for discussion." She sighed "Yes, it is possible, but very dangerous if it so. Your firstborn with a human will be a boy; he would be born human but would be directly connected to you and you to him. His humanity will depend on your energy for life. One cannot live without the other. He will be mortal until he is 25 in human years, but his mortality will also be yours. As much as he is safe, you will be too, as much as he is hurt, so will you. During his …"

"Wait, this is too much." The information became unbearable to him, and there seemed to be more. He closed his eyes tightly. "Can you help me find him, he is in hiding now." He sighed and looked up.

The console opened up to reveal a long yellow crystal that was glowing gently.

"This is your son's energy line, it will lead you to him."

----------------------------------

**Gotham City**  
It was early in the morning, and as always she had been the first to arrive at the office. Bruce smiled as he watched her from the lobby. This woman mystified him to no end he admitted to himself for the first time. She was the first person he had met that came across more mysterious than him. She seemed unreachable, but he had noticed a flicker of light every time she saw a child or his daughter, showing him a glimpse of what she hid from everyone else.

What are you hiding Ms. Foreman? He thought. At that moment the elevator rang and woke him from his thoughts. He walked towards his office.

"Good morning Ms. Foreman."

"Good morning Mr. Wayne." She replied curtly, nodding her head in attention.

"I need the evaluation for the new product on my desk in 10 minutes." He needed to revise it before sending the files to his potential buyers.

"I'll get right on it Mr Wayne." And with that she turned to her computer.

"Oh, and please communicate me with Lex Luthor, his number is in my old agenda. Thanks Ms. Foreman." And with that he disappeared behind the double doors.

Oh she knew perfectly well where the number was, in fact she could have recited it for him. She had discovered it a while back, almost making her back out on this altogether. She reached a shaky hand for the phone, her lips in a tight line. Her fingers dialed the number that had been stuck in her memory for more years that she had worked there.

It rung twice, maybe his secretary would answer, no, who was she kidding? Lex always arrived even before his secretary and only certain people had this line. He would answer himself.

"Luthor" his deep voice rattled her senses in ways she had long forgotten, but the disgust over the more recent memories won over. She swallowed down the bitterness and anger boiling up.

"This is Mr. Wayne's secretary, he would like to speak to you sir, can you hold for a second?" She put on her best secretarial voice, knowing how the formality of it could disguise any voice, no matter how familiar.

"Wayne? Sure"

He smiled into the phone, it had been such a long time; what could he possibly want now?

"Wayne" came the reply a couple of seconds later.

"Well, well, Bruce Wayne, to what do I owe this surprise?"

"Business Luthor, as always, I don't ask how you have been, for it is well know that luck has been on your side. " _At least on the business side_ he mused. For once he wasn't the millionaire the whole country felt sorry for in family matters.

"Yes it has, so, how can I help you?" he sat back in his desk, this could be interesting he thought.

"I was hoping we could help each other, I have a new product, its almost ready for launching, but maybe we could combine efforts and make this work for the both of us."

That caught his attention. Bruce Wayne seldom shared anything, much like himself; and like himself when he did get around to sharing he knew he would gain more from it than keeping it to himself.

"Sounds intriguing, so, tell me."

-------------------------------------------

Lex Luthor sat back in his chair, watching the city in front of him, it was practically his in every way. He smiled, and now Bruce Wayne offered him a business that was hard to refuse and that would help him get a stronger hold on his city. Fate was finally smiling at him. 

His smile died on his face, he still wasn't complete. The coldness of Wayne's secretary reminded him that, he didn't know why it had bothered him so much, but there was something in her voice that unnerved him, made him wonder.

He pushed the thought aside and rang his secretary.

"Yes Mr. Luthor?" came the voice on the speaker.

"I will be leaving for Gotham City in two weeks, please make the arrangements." He proceeded to give her the date and the hotel and hung up. He then picked up again. 

"Yes?"

"Get me Lois Lane's number please." He needed a date.


	16. Chapter 16

**California**

"Uncle Pete!" a child's voice called out from inside the house. Pete barely heard someone calling him due to the roar of the lawnmower. He stopped the engine and listened.

"Uncle Pete!" the owner of the voice came to his sight, a 7 year old boy now stood in the front steps with the door opened. "I'm going to be late for school!" he exclaimed, running down the stairs and towards the car.

Pete sighed and smiled back. "Just wait Michael." He instructed as he moved the lawnmower to the back yard. He had put off mowing the lawn long enough; he guessed another half hour of wait wouldn't hurt.

The boy stood patiently besides the passenger side of the car. He then saw a tall man walking up the sidewalk. He stopped and stared at the child.

Michael looked up at him, trying to figure out who this stranger was, his memory bringing back instructions of not talking to strangers they had drilled into him since kindergarten.

Despite all this he could not bring himself to be afraid, he stared openly at the man, and watched the strong chiseled face come closer as he walked towards the car.

"Michael?" the stranger asked his voice was kind and soothing. The man knelt in front of him when he was only a few feet away.

"Who are you?" he asked pointedly, creasing his eyebrows.

"I'm a friend," he smiled, Michael couldn't help but smile back, but quickly replaced it with a frown.

"I don't know you mister." Yet he was rooted to the spot.

"Is Pete here?"

"Uncle Pete?" so he knew his uncle, maybe he was a friend. "Yeah, wait here." He flashed him a smile and ran to the backyard.

Pete was already making his way to the front yard when Michael found him.

"Uncle, someone is here, he says he is your friend." He rushed in. Pete suddenly felt apprehension; all the friends he had made here Michael knew by name, who could it be?

"What did I tell you about talking to strangers?" he asked, his tone matching the strong hold he know held on the boy.

"But he said he is a friend, I believe him." He scrunched his face and followed behind him.

Pete finally saw the man, but he didn't recognize him.

"What can I do for you sir?" He asked, holding Michael protectively behind him.

"Pete, its me, Clark."

Pete stared closely now, yes, he saw it now, behind the suit, the dark glasses and the new hair do, it was his friend Clark, he was finally back.

**Gotham City**

She couldn't make herself stop shaking.

Lex was coming in two weeks, he would be there for the party, party she had already said she was going to. She stared at herself in the small mirror in her hand. Sure, she didn't recognize herself, much less would he, or wouldn't he?

Even after all this time, she wasn't ready to confront him, wasn't ready to pretend nothing had happened, wasn't ready to bury herself completely in front of him.

Gabrielle,

, she hadn't thought of that, she was the spitting image of Lex. She needed to act quickly, She wouldn't be happy but the plans needed to be moved forward.

Rrrrringg.

She jumped, not now, she thought to herself.

"Yes Mr. Wayne." She answered.

"Please bring me a cup of coffee." His voice crackled over the speaker. She didn't bother to answer and made her way to the small room across the hall.

A couple minutes later she was walking back towards his office, cup in hand. The door was opened and she made her way in.  
She still felt shaky, and she realized a minute too late she should have lifted her foot more when stepping on the carpet.

The cup flew from her hands and landed on the carpet, it didn't break, but the dark liquid quickly stained the expensive piece of decoration.

She closed her eyes in exasperation, and felt angry tears threatening to flow freely. She wasn't going to do this, not in front of her boss, not in front of the man who had her daughter.  
Bruce quickly made his way towards her, noticing her face and realizing something else was going on. He gently helped her sit in one of the couches, she let herself be guided, finding strength only to fight back the tears.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, so gently she had to open her eyes to register his face in her mind and make sure it was still him besides her. She looked up into his eyes, he held her shaky hands in his firmly.

The physical contact sent shivers up his spine, it had been a long time since he had allowed himself to be attracted to anyone. He didn't try to hide what he felt and he stared openly at her.

"I'm fine," she laughed in an attempt to ward off the pain and fear inside her, trying to get herself out of this situation as quickly as possible. Then she looked up at him again, she was suddenly lost in his stare.

Why hadn't she seen it before? It was so clear, yet the shell she had managed to put around herself had been so thick she hadn't noticed anything before. She looked down and let the tears flow.  
He was attracted to her, that was something she hadn't counted on, and yet, it was what could work for her advantage now. Then why did she feel so wrong?

Bruce reached for his handkerchief and handed it to her. A gentleman in everyway this was not a new situation for him, and one he knew he could handle perfectly.

Or so he thought.


	17. Chapter 17

A small figure sat in the corner of the room, the moonlight played with her long, dark hair. Long strands were entwined in a small thin finger. The wind drew a branch across the window, making her jump and look towards the door.

It didn't open.

She let out a wounded sigh and turned to the window, where she saw the branch scratching the glass.

She was still alone. She had learned over the years that it was a good feeling after all, being alone. She had been afraid of it for so long, now she ached for the silence and being the only one in the room every time he walked through that door and disturbed her peace.

He was late, and that alone disturbed her. He was only late when the day had gone wrong, or when he had been drinking. None of those choices meant anything good to her. She shut her eyes and leaned further into the chair, preparing her mind and body for what she knew would happen next.

_The sound of the door unlocking sent her flying towards it. As soon as it opened she faced the man who came in, trying to leave the room._

"Let me out!" she demanded. He pushed her easily aside, closing the door behind him. Defeated she slumped to the floor.

"Where is my son?" she pleaded "Why are you keeping me here?" tears flowed abundantly.

His expression stayed cold, only a snicker made its way through.

"Lana dear, don't fret, please, it makes you look old and ugly." He gently picked her up and placed her on the bed.

"I already told you, your son is safe, or will be as long as you remain faithful to me. Remember? You broke my trust in you, you were my friend Lana, and you betrayed me. You have to earn back my trust." He ran his hands through her hair.

"Lex, please" a sob found its way to her throat. His hand knotted into a fist with her hair in it. He pulled her up towards him.

She let out a strangled cry.

"All I ever asked of you was your friendship, no more, no less. Tsk tsk, you did everything wrong Lana, and now you have to make it right by me." He hissed into her ear, letting go abruptly of her, making her head bounce on the bed.

His hands swiftly undid her pants and began pulling them down.

"What are you doing!" she exclaimed, frightened, trying to free herself from his grasp.

"Now I ask for more Lana, that is it" He grew silent. "Poor Michael, last time I saw him he was crying like a baby." He lied and watched pleased at the effects of the lie.

'He's crazy' she thoughts and swallowed hard. She didn't say another word and went completely still under him.

"Now that's what I want." He growled as he got rid of his own pants. Without warning he plunged into her. She muffled a scream and looked towards the window. The sunlight seeped through the branches of the tree forming a halo of light around the wood finishing of the window.

That had been one of the few times she had been capable of somehow erasing the worse part out of her mind. Every time he came for her he made it harder for her to disconnect. He had hit her, screamed at her or forced to her to participate in whatever inkling he had, making it harder to forget.

How she wished she had died along with Alan in that explosion, death was better than to be buried alive in your own pain. Michael was alive; she could sense it. That was the only thing that kept her from throwing herself out the window.

She looked at the clock again, he was very late, she only hoped he wouldn't come, for if he did, she would be buried yet again.

**The Daily Planet**

Idle fingers tapped the keyboard as a pair of cat-like eyes stared intently into the screen. The room was dark, only the light of the screen shed some illumination to the large room. Long elegant fingers meant for playing the piano picked up a pencil and twirled it around them.  
She was getting nowhere; she laid the pencil down and stretched back into her chair, her eyes never leaving the screen. It seemed like every time she came close to something – she didn't even know what yet – she would run into a dead end, and there she was, staring at her latest dead end.

She let out a frustrated sigh and turned off her computer, leaving her in a dark newsroom, and alone. She wasn't flustered by that. She grabbed her purse and walked towards the elevator.

She walked knowingly through the cubicles until she came to the long hallway. The silence was suddenly broken by the faint noise of the elevator working. She looked up across the hall and walked towards it.

Who could it be at this hour? She kept on walking; the elevator rang, announcing the new arrival to the floor. She looked up.  
She lifter her eyebrows when she saw who was walking towards her.

"Luthor" Surprise was evident in her voice and expression. Here was the reason for her late night research.

"Ms. Lane, mind if I accompany you?" a half grin lay on his face.

For all the mystery revolving him and her family, she had to admit how good-looking he was.

At her silence he decided to expand. "I've been living in isolation long enough, don't you think?"

"Does that mean I get to see Chloe?" She crossed her arms and examined him carefully. What did he want?

He smiled, she noticed how tired he looked. "For now you get me." 

An interview, information on her cousin and niece, closure; that's what she saw in that offer. She hoped that's what he had meant.  
She smiled and accepted his arm.

Hell, you do get more flies with honey than with vinegar, right?


	18. Chapter 18

**California**

Clark watched from the doorway as Pete tucked Michael in. He had spent the day just watching his son in his activities, taking advantage of any time alone with Pete to catch up on the events he had missed over the years. Michael, he had noticed, couldn't keep his attention away from him, making it harder to speak with Pete, the child took to him rather quickly, without the need to know who he really was.

"Good night Mike." Pete said upon leaving his side and walking towards the door.

"Good night Uncle Pete, Good night, Mr. Kent." He smiled directly at him before he turned and reached for his lamp to turn it off.

"He likes you already." Pete stated as he led him down the hall and into the living room of the small house.

Clark chuckled "I must admit I never thought a kid could grow on me so quickly." His smile then turned sad, and then disappeared altogether.

"Now please," he lifted his eyebrow and sat down, waiting for him to answer his questions. "Why didn't Lana tell me before I left? Where is she? What is all this with Lex and him trying to kill her and Alan?" and there were more, those were just the ones to begin with.

Pete took a deep breath and smiled.

"Fine, but one question at a time reporter." Pete sank back in couch and began. "Lana didn't tell me why she didn't tell you, maybe she didn't know then, or she thought you wouldn't believe her, specially since you thought she had cheated on you with Alan." He pointed out.

Clark reflected on that, remembering how jealous and foolish he had been. Whether he had been right about them or not, was no longer the point. Pete was right though; he wouldn't have believed her at first, or maybe never.

"I'm not justifying her Clark, she had no idea who you really were, you never told her, that may have changed her decision on telling you or not. Besides, up until now Michael is a fairly normal boy, no super strength or super powers, he is strong, no doubt, but he wasn't picking up beds at the age of three if you know what I mean."

He was normal all right, for now.

"But I should have told her, now I know, maybe then..." the age-old habit of blaming himself hadn't worn off with time; it was probably the only thing he would never grow out of.

"But you didn't, so get over it. What happened happened man that is it. Now, are we telling Michael you are his dad?"

"First I have to find Lana, my parents told me she was working with Lex, have you heard from her?"

"No, last I found out she had come out of the coma and was still on Lex's payroll but no one has seen her ever since. I must admit I am worried, but haven't done much for Michael's sake. Now that you are here, maybe you can do something about it."

"I have a job interview tomorrow, remember Perry White?" Pete made a face. "Yeah, I contacted him and it turns out he is now the editor of the Daily Planet, he wants me to go. From the newspaper I could better inform myself on Lana or practically anything else. "

"Well congratulations." His smile was full blown as he took in the news.

"Now about Lex Pete, please, tell me how... did he really want to kill them? " He was still hoping with all his heart it wasn't true, but deep down he knew.

Pete took a long deep breath before answering.

"Clark, Lex has changed, a lot, and it's a long story"

"We have all night Pete, please I need to know."

Clark sat and listened to how little by little Lex lost the battle with evil and finally gave in. He hadn't been obvious at first, little experiments here and there. Pete had never trusted him and since he joined the force he kept a close watch on him. With his marriage to Chloe he became stronger and bolder. He did a lot of good in society and advanced even more in his projects.

"Before Chloe ran away she came to me. She was nervous and uneasy. I couldn't get her to tell me what was going on, she just kept asking questions. The next day I find out she had gone into labor, the day after that she up and left." Pete shook his head. He had never forgiven himself for letting her go, but even now he knew that wouldn't have been that smartest choice. "I didn't have all the information I needed to prove anything so I let her go. Two months later I see that Lex had found her on the news. I contacted Lana and her husband, neither had seen her." Pete stared at Clark "I had my doubts on what the facility she was placed in was being used for even before that, after that I knew I had to know and I needed help.

Lana's husband contacted me, I was surprised but glad. I then got in touch with Lana and we started investigating." Clark sat quiet knowing what had happened next. In his gut he had always known about Lex, he was just too stubborn and kept believing some good was in him. "One night Alan calls me, he said he found what we needed about Chloe and the facility. I was supposed to meet him at his apartment. When I arrived the building was on fire, Lana and Michael were on the street and people had begun to gather. I grabbed Michael and went to Smallville."

Silence reigned for a couple of seconds. Clark broke the silence with a low grunt.

"You stopped investigating to protect my son. Thanks Pete, there's just not much I can do to repay you, specially since I am going to ask you to continue doing just that." He looked at his friends face; a smile of sorts was beginning to grace his face.

"Seriously? You don't even have to ask." He playfully hit his arm with a closed fist. "! I had forgotten about that." He laughed, shaking his hand in the process, trying to alleviate the pain.

"Yeah well, I thought it might be fun to see you try. There's a lot I have to tell you too." His mood changed significantly, he had missed his friend. "Watch, hit me again."

Pete looked at him like he was crazy.

"Fine, just push me then." He laughed at that but when ahead and pushed him. The hard steel frame that had connected with his fist a couple of seconds ago was now soft and pliable. He looked up in confusion.

"Let's just say I have changed too." Clark grinned. He had a whole world of problems to fix, but for now he was with his best friend and almost 7 years of catching up.

---------------------------

A sleek black Lexus parked in front of an old apartment building in the edge of the rough neighborhoods of Gotham City. A tall dark man got out from the drivers seat and hurried to the passengers seat to open the door.

Jacqueline's face gleamed in the moonlight as she took his hand to help get out of the car. She had almost opened the door herself but caught herself in time.

"Thanks Mr. Wayne" it was the second night in a row he drove her home since she had accepted his attraction for her and had decided to get the most out of it. But it was moments like these, staring up at the dark pools that were his eyes, reflecting so much yet saying so little; that she doubted her capacity to play this game.

"It was a pleasure, and please, call me Bruce. Four years with me and I still can't get you on a first name basis Ms. Foreman." He smiled, accentuating her last name. His smile was contagious and unlike anything she had seen on him.

She had to admit, he was pretty good at the seduction game, but then again so had been Lex. That thought made her focus again and she stared up at him smiling back confidently.

"Okay, first name it is then." She reached in her purse for her keys.

"Lost something?" He let a crooked smile grace his face.

"I can't seem to find my keys" she furrowed her eyebrows, trying to remember if she had put them in her purse at all. Her mind was giving out on her.

"You mean these?" He held up the key chain, "You left them on your desk; I was beginning to wonder if you would ever notice them." She lifted her eyebrow as she took them from him.

"So if I didn't ask you would have left me locked out of my building?" She asked, "I never thought of Bruce Wayne as anything but a true gentleman." She turned her head, trying to get the dim lighting to cover his face.

He moved closer to her, the light washing over his eyes.

"And I am." His eyes taking her face in, memorizing every angle and the shade of her eyes.

"So what were you planning to do? Use them to bribe me? Or make copies to sneak into my apartment later tonight" she let herself flirt with him.

"No, Ms. Foreman, I was just going to kiss you good night." He smiled into her eyes and lifted her chin up, staring intently at her lips.

Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips before she could stop herself. He smirked and pulled her closer to him by the waist, making her gasp involuntarily, her open mouth becoming a temptation he didn't want to resist.

How the theme of conversation had gone from keys to kissing was beyond her, she fought the urge to push him away, she didn't 't like what she was feeling at the pit of her stomach.  
He leaned closer and she felt her eyes betray her as they slowly closed, anticipating his lips on hers. He brushed his lips softly against hers, and then pulled abruptly back.

"Then I was going to give them to you, but since you noticed before I put my plan in motion I see no need for that anymore."

She blinked, trying to will her heart to stop racing from the adrenaline that had just been shot through her body.

"Good night Jacqueline." He bowed his head and walked to his car; somewhat surprised he had mustered enough self-control to not kiss the life out of her.

"Good night." She called out, still trying to recover and turned to open the door.

"So, what has brought you out of hiding?" Lois asked as soon as the waiter had left with their order. Lex had taken her out for dinner, as a food and information lover she was in her element.

Lex chuckled. "Subtlety is usually a must for an investigative reporter." He arched an eyebrow at her.

"I can be subtle, I just don't see the need for it now. And its only necessary when investigating, not reporting. So back to my question, why now?" She looked at him expectantly, waiting for a straight answer.

Apparently she had forgotten how Lex could be.

"Let's eat first, shall we? As you have noted I haven't been out in quite a while and my company is usually Alexia, so how about you humor me with some idle adult conversation?" He smiled, again she noticed exhaustion peek through his eyes.

She raised an eyebrow and thought about it, she inwardly screamed in frustration, and then smiled in consent. She had better get something out of that night.

As the night progressed she slowly realized that all she was going to get was a delicious dinner, because for someone as complicated as Lex Luthor, he sure knew how to be a shallow converser.

As he paid the tab she had lost patience and was about to open her mouth to say just that, but he beat her to it.

"I know you want to know about your cousin, but her condition is delicate, to say the least. You are welcome to come any time to the penthouse and meet Alexia, I realize now how selfish I have been in regards to her, would you like that?" He rose from his chair. She sat dumbfounded in hers.

"Yeah, sure, of course." She sputtered out. She let him help her out of her chair. With her hand still in his he continued talking.

"I have been invited to Gotham for product launch in Wayne Enterprises, would you like to join me? I have no one else I could trust to accompany me." He sounded so lost. Lois doubted for a moment. Was she getting soft or was Lex Luthor no longer the ruthless businessman of yesteryear?

There was only one way to find out.

"Yes, I'd love that."

-------------------


	19. Chapter 19

Clark looked up at the building in front of him. The Daily Planet, this was where it all began for him, his official double life. He hadn't let his alter ego make an appearance yet, still nervous about how that could go. The beginning was always the hardest, he knew. So there he was, about to take the first step. He straightened his glasses and walked towards the entrance.

Before he reached the door he felt something hit him, he let himself be pushed, pretending the force had almost knocked him down.

"Watch where you're going!" an angry voice came from behind. He turned awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, I.. didn't .. I mean.. you..." He bent down at where she was trying to clean her papers from the spilt coffee trying to help her. A large pair of dark eyes affronted him. He fumbled for an apology.

"Great, you can't even form a sentence! I really don't have time for this!" she grunted as she pushed his hands away and grabbed a hold of her papers brushing past him into the building.

_Why was she so angry, she bumped into me! Crazy woman._ Clark straightened his glasses once again and followed the angry woman inside. He took a deep breath and tried to gather his bearings. He also didn't have time to lose; he was late.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That was the last time you pull a stunt like that, do you hear me?!" a red faced man shouted and slammed his fist on the desk, staring intently at the woman in front on him. Anyone else would have scurried away in fright, but Lois wasn't just anyone.

"Look chief, I know you are upset, especially since I didn't get the full story this time, but when I complete this, you will ..."

"Wait a second there missy, you actually think there is going to be a next time?" he let out an incredulous laugh. "Lois, the fact that you didn't get the story is the least of my worries. The problem really lies in that you almost got run over by a plane, a plane Lois! Don't you recognize danger when you see it?"

Lois lifted an eyebrow and opened her mouth to defend her point. Perry lifted his index finger and raised an eyebrow in warning, demanding her silence. She shut her mouth and slumped in the chair in front of his desk. Even she knew when she shouldn't push.

Perry eased back slowly on his chair, calming himself down. He stared silently at Lois. For all her charm and wit, he was certain she was going to get killed one of these days. The close calls had been too many, and the last one... he let out a breath he had been holding in to calm his anger. She was his best element yet, and was proud of to what extent she was willing to go for a story for his Daily Planet, and she seemed to have a good portion of good luck. He wondered when it would run out. Well, he wasn't going to wait for that to happen.

Lois watched the emotions play on his face, waiting for even the tiniest crack she could slip through. Even though she had only worked for him for three years, they had hit it off from the beginning; they both shared the same passion for their profession and in her Perry quickly found an avid pupil. She knew she was his favorite, even though he wasn't one to admit it. But the fact that she was relentless, y and always managed to get the top stories in her short time as a reporter gave her that spot. She was also the one that got into more trouble, but she knew the cycle well. He would explode; threaten to put her on paper duty or worse. Then he would sit and try to calm himself down like he was right now. Finally she would apologize and make a promise to be more careful, bat her eyelashes and put on the face that said she couldn't kill a fly; and with that she would be let go with a low growl and unhappy face.

"Look I will be more careful next time, okay?" she smiled, congratulating herself inwardly. She was getting out of this without any extreme measure taken. "Besides, like I told you last night I have a much more interesting and less dangerous story in my hands now." As soon as Lex had dropped her off she had dialed Perry. That alone was enough to make him forget anything.

Or so she thought.

Perry put on a crooked smile and nodded when he recognized what she was trying to do.

"Not this time Lois, I took matters into my own hands a couple weeks ago, and this only confirmed my decision." Before she could ask what he meant two knocks where heard and the door opened slightly.

"They told me you were waiting for me Mr. White," came a baritone voice behind her, making her heart skip strangely. She widened her eyes at her reaction and let out a low grunt. Lois then turned and faced the newcomer; she knew how important first impressions were.

"You?" She voiced what his face was saying. _Wonderful_ she thought. It was the mindless moron she had bumped into on her way in. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Perry.

"So I guess this means we have ended our conversation; I have a story to catch." She smiled, hoping the interruption had worked her way.

"You've met?" Perry asked, motioning both of them to sit. Lois grunted yet again and slumped in one of the chairs facing his desk. The tall man took the other chair, putting his briefcase on his lap.

_How last century is that?_ she rolled her eyes inwardly.

"Yes, we had a run in coming in." _So he can formulate basic sentences_. She held back the urge to let out a chuckle. Wait, what was she still doing here? And how could such a hillbilly make her lose concentration? The wheels in her head started turning and her face grew somber at the conclusions she was coming to.

"Lois, this is Clark Kent, he will be taking Paul's place." He then turned to Clark. "Paul retired just a few months ago, he had been here longer than me, I think. We lost a good reporter, but I have a feeling you will fit right in." He smiled.

"Wait a minute, up to what extent will he be taking Paul's place?" Lois asked, dreading the answer.

"Clark will be your new partner Lois." Lois gave him a dead look before turning to Clark and giving him the same look. She tightened her jaw and stood, hands slamming down on the desk.

"I work alone Perry, Paul would only watch my back. And how could this kid take his place, he has absolutely no experience, he looks fresh out of college for goodness sake!" Perry shared a knowing smile with Clark before turning to the irate woman.

"He has plenty of experience, I can bear witness to that, but he will still learn a lot from you. You are my top girl Lois, if anyone can teach him the ropes around here you can. Besides, you might find you have a lot in common. Now sit." He stared her down until she was sitting again, arms crossed stubbornly.

"Now, you have one week to show him around, let him know how we work."

"One? What?"

"Listen. In one week you two will leave on your first assignment."

"Wait, I haven't agreed to this yet!" She couldn't stay still, much less listen to how her life was just about to change.

"I said listen. As you know Lois, there is a product launch in Gotham City for Wayne Corporation, our golden boy Luthor has been invited exclusively. I need you to find out what connection those two have and if there is a merger somewhere in the future. You're going as his date" he said to Lois, then turned to Clark "I remember you used to be close with Lex," Lois turned to him surprise and newfound recognition covering her face.

"Wait, Clark Kent, why didn't I make the connection before!" _Because you were to busy making fun of him and getting mad over the fact that you are going to be working with him._ She answered her own question silently.

"Took you a while Lois. You see Clark, Lois is Chloe Sullivan's cousin. You were classmates in Smallville, right?"

A sad look passed over his face at the mention of Chloe.

"Yes, we were best friends."

"Yeah, up until the day you left without even an email. Chloe told me all about you. So you are the infamous Clark Kent, lucky me." Her new assignment and partnership took on a whole new shape.

"So you've both got connections to our Lex Luthor. Find out what he is up to and bring me Lois back in one piece, okay? She tends to look for trouble."

Clark smiled at that, remembering his adventures with Chloe. Lois's no-nonsense face took the smile away. She wasn't Chloe, and the rest of the day confirmed it. She was rude, mean, and all the bad things he had ever seen in a woman. She was like Chloe when it came to hunting information that much he could tell. She seemed intrigued at the fact that he had known her cousin, but didn't give an inch in his benefit. And he still had to talk to her about Lex, what was she doing dating him?

This was going to be a full job.

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It was incredible how a few changes in her makeup and a full-length dress could make her look so different. Within a couple of minutes she went from executive assistant to glamorous date. She had darkened her eyes, lightened her lips and picked up her hair. She looked at herself one last time and sighed heavily before putting on a smile and walking out of her bathroom. Bruce was arriving any minute and she needed time to focus on the task ahead.

This was their first formal date; she was nervous to say the least, still not sure what she was doing or how she had gotten there, things had not gone according to plan, but is she did this right, they might go even better. For a split second she felt like she was back in high school, planning her next move to catch a big story. The moment passed; this wasn't a story, this was her daughter and her future. This was only going to detonate a bomb and have her running again, but if she had successfully hidden from Lex, she could do so from Bruce Wayne. The difference was that this time she had had a lot of time to plan, and she had all her bases covered.

The sharp movement of her window curtain broke her thoughts; she stood and listened, all her senses alert. The curtain fluttered from having been moved, but there was no wind. The lights suddenly went off, leaving her in complete darkness, the blinking lights of the streets occasionally giving her visibility. She took a step, her dress making a soft sound against the wooden floor; she walked on her toes, not having the tall heels touch the floor. She felt something move quickly behind her. She forced her heartbeat to steady as she stopped and looked carefully around her. A light penetrated the room and she glanced something on her right. She swiftly picked up her dress and kicked her leg low against the floor. She barely connected, but it was more than enough to throw the intruder off their feet. As soon as a thud was heard, she reached for the lights. A woman dressed in a black cat suit and wearing a mask lay elegantly on the floor; in one move she pulled herself up, a mischievous evil smile playing on her red tainted lips.

"You are getting better at this sweetie." The woman purred softly. "You didn't even have to fight me to get me. Quite an improvement."

"I didn't want to ruin my dress." She said annoyed. "What are you doing here? Bruce is going to be here any minute, I don't have time for this."

"Relax hon. I just came by to say hello, I received your message and I wanted to make sure our original intentions are still intact." Chloe sighed and sat down.

"Don't worry, this is only going to help both of us, I'm gaining his trust." Why did she feel like explaining herself?

The feline face came close to hers, examining her features. She raised an eyebrow.

"Just don't fall for the guy, okay? Play him, and never lose control of the situation. Men are tricky babe, especially that one; don't allow him to take away your focus." She took a step back, allowing her words to seep in. "You are already exposed enough by doing this for the love of your daughter." She said the last part as sweetly and sarcastically as possible. "Men and children only tie you down dear, you would do better without either of them."

"You agreed to help me, and don't speak of what you don't know," Chloe reminded Catwoman, rage beginning to fill her blood. She wondered for a minute how she had allowed herself to trust her. Then she remembered, this 'woman' had saved her from being raped at the hand of those thugs. She hadn't known it then, but after her decision to come back to Gotham she had found her and told her who she was, her savior. She almost laughed at that, but that's what this strange creature had been to her in more ways than one.

She trained her physically and emotionally, but she would only stick around for days at a time, always leaving and sometimes disappearing for months at a time. She insisted on setting up a communication system, to which Catwoman finally complied. Chloe had known since the beginning Catwoman wasn't a person to trust, and she didn't. Only the fact that she was also going to benefit from their little charade gave her some solace, they were just helping each others plans come to life, no more. When it was all over, she knew she wouldn't be seeing the likes of that feline face again.

Catwoman circled her slowly.

"You and I are not so different, if you could only see that." She purred softly. Her sharp senses caught something and she straightened. "Ciao babe, and don't forget to have fun." She winked and jumped effortlessly towards the window. She stood a couple of seconds on the windowsill before jumping out. A figure hidden in the darkness watched as Catwoman jumped from the window to the roof as a long limousine approached the building.

Chloe walked nervously towards the door, stopping to check her appearance in the mirror beside it. Everything seemed in place. She took a deep breath and waited a couple of minutes before heading towards the door. She opened the door to find Bruce Wayne about to knock. A measured look of surprise crossed his face, which was replaced by a look of admiration when his eyes caught her image.

"You look beautiful Ms. Foreman. Shall we?" He offered his arm; she looped her arm around his.

She didn't answer but smiled instead, afraid that her voice might betray how nervous she felt. Her mind was still going over the disturbing conversation with the creature.

He walked her down the stairs and out of the building. Waiting for them was a limousine, a uniformed chauffer holding the door open.

She smiled in appreciation at the gesture, keeping the painful memories such a vehicle brought from flooding her mind.

Once they were moving they sat in silence, flirting silently with smiles and stolen looks.

"Weren't you afraid to get mugged? My neighborhood is not the safest, and a car like this can easily draw unwanted attention." She asked, breaking what was becoming for her an uncomfortable silence.

Before he could answer his cell phone sprang to life, vibrating inside his pocket.

"Just a minute Jacqueline." He excused himself before answering. "Yes? Is she all right Alfred? Yes, I'm on my way." He hung up and picked up the limousine phone. "Peter, take us to the estate please." He ordered urgently.

"I'm sorry, it will only be a detour." He smiled, not actually sounding sorry.

"Is everything all right Mr…I mean, Bruce?" she was going to his house, things were looking up.

"It's my daughter; ever since she was a baby she has suffered from severe nightmares. She can usually go back to sleep only if I read her one of the fairy tales she has in her library." He explained.

"It's okay, I don't mind Bruce." She said sweetly, trying to cover the worry that had suddenly come over her. Nightmares? Frustration from not having found out completely what Lex had done to her child while still in her womb had always accompanied her this only heightened it. She only hoped her conclusions on what little information she had gotten were not true.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Okay guys, I have edited this story so GO BACK to the beginning. A lot has been cleared up and some things have changed. So DO NOT continue until you have started again. Hope you like the changes and the additions.**

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_Soft music filled the ballroom, white and red rose petal littered the marble floor. A younger Lex and Chloe walked in, Chloe dropping her jaw in wonder._

"Lex, this is..." she looked around, taking in the heavenly romantic scene.

"Chloe Sullivan speechless, I must have done something right." Lex grinned down on her.

"Well, it's not bad," she said trying to sound snotty, "A live orchestra would have been better than recorded music." She smiled.

"Who said its recorded music?" She blinked and turned towards where he was pointing. Up on a balcony sat a full philharmonic orchestra playing a soft sonata.

She smiled fully then, reaching up and pulling him down for a kiss. "Okay, so this is perfect." Lex tenderly ran his hand through her short blond hair, loving the feeling of her softness in his fingers.

"Do you deserve less?" he questioned, pulling her to the center of the ballroom into a slow dance.

"I would be more than content just to have you." She smiled softly, "About what I deserve, you might be right, I deserve this and more." She widened her eyes to add to the joke.

He reached down for a kiss, holding her lips between his softly and tenderly.

Her body against his and the music moving slowly between them was the greatest sensation he had ever felt. At that moment he felt complete, capable of anything. The sky was no limit for him, he could go beyond, just as long as she was by his side.

That had been the night he had asked her to marry him. The memory still lay fresh in his mind. It played itself over and over again, sometimes in his dreams, sometimes when he was wide-awake.

Now it had come to him sitting in his office, running over the last few changes of the day, night winning over daylight. She hadn't understood the role she played in his life, she had been his balance, and the only good thing in him was what he felt for her. But all that goodness hadn't been enough to dampen his need for greatness.

"Mr. Luthor" the intercom rang. "A Mr. Kent is here to see you."  
Kent? It had been a long time. He sighed, sure anything Jonathan had to say to him would be anything but pleasant.

"Let him in." He ordered. He stood and prepared to receive him.  
The doors opened and a tall suited man walked in. Lex tried to recognize the man behind the thick glasses.

"Mr. Kent? It wouldn't be Clark Kent, would it?" He smiled and shook his head.

"Hello Lex." Clark said.

"I knew a Clark Kent once, he was my friend." His features hardened.

Clark sighed and cocked his head. He had been afraid of this.  
"Lex, please." He pleaded.

Lex stared at him silently for a couple of seconds. He grinned and then sat behind his desk, offering him a chair with a wave of his hand. Clark walked closer to the desk, but didn't sit.

"To what do I owe this honor?" the sarcasm was evident in his voice. Clark wondered how he could be so offended after all that he had done.

"I need to hear your side of the story Lex." He had decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Really? The eternal optimist, Clark Kent. There is no other side. Whatever you have heard is probably true."

"Then you killed Lana's husband and are holding her captive?" he questioned.

"Oh that I hadn't heard. No, that was a lamentable accident, no more, and Lana isn't captive, she is the head of PR. She travels on my behalf. As a matter of fact she is in France right now; too bad you missed her." He lied easily, looking at him straight in the eye.

They stared each other off for what seemed an interminable time. Lex broke the silence, but didn't avert his eyes.

"If that is what you came for then there you have it, my side of the story. Now if you will excuse me, I have business to attend to."

"I believe you, for now. I only hope we can at least be cordial to one another." Clark said.

"I still owe you my life Clark, I can be anything except unthankful." He turned his chair towards the window behind him.  
Clark turned and left without a word.

He walked out of the building, calling a cab that passed by. Once inside he opened his briefcase and looked up the address to Lex's penthouse. He gave the address to the driver.

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He walked out of the cab, the night had grown thick with fog. Lex was still in the office, but he didn't know when he would be back, he would have to be quick.

He scanned the floor where Lex's penthouse was. He spotted one figure, moving busily in what looked like a kitchen. The rest of the floor was empty. He sighed heavily, for even though he knew that to hope to find her in the first try was unlikely, he had hoped he would.

He was about to call another cab when he decided to have another look. The figure, now identified as a maid of some sort, was still in the kitchen, she was placing plates and a glass of liquid on a tray. She walked towards the elevator, raising his curiosity. The elevator went down several floors until it stopped and she walked out. He then quickly scanned that floor. It was mostly devoid of any furniture. The maid went straight towards a door and opened a lock. He then scanned the room. A person lay in the corner opposite of the door, behind the bed, in a fetal position.

He blinked his sight back to normal. He looked at the doorman, who was now looking at him suspiciously, due to his extended stare at the building. He decided against going in through the front door. He smiled at the doorman and walked away.

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The maid opened the door and turned on the lights. She placed the tray in the small table next to the bed and walked towards the window. 

"It's stuffy in here ma'am. It's not good for you to have the window closed." She opened the window, letting the soft night wind enter the room. She knelt besides the woman on the floor. "You have to eat something. You know how Mr. Luthor gets when you don't eat." She felt sorry for her, but her fat paycheck helped her set her priorities straight.

"Then don't tell him." She barely heard the soft response.

"He notices whether I tell him or not. You are practically skin and bones! Come on." She helped her up.

Lana let the maid guide her towards the chair next to the bed. She let herself be fed in silence.

Once she had finished at least half of the meal she refused to eat more and the maid decided to let it pass. She picked up the tray and left the room, locking it again behind her.

She cried tearlessly, just a dull pain filling her body, having no more tears left, only ghost of tears and cries she felt, but could not materialize.

She then heard a loud swish; she ignored it, thinking it was the wind playing with her curtain and the branches of the large tree outside her window. She had tried climbing down that tree once, but the branches that connected the tree with her window were too small to hold her weight.

"Lana?" She heard a soft deep voice calling her. Had she fallen asleep? She turned her head towards the sound. A large man was standing on the other side of the room.

"Lana." He called again, the tone of the voice seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't place it. She stared again at the man, and then blinked. This was no dream.

"Clark?" Were her eyes playing tricks on her or was Clark really in the room? She got up from her chair and walked slowly towards the figure.

"Yes Lana, it's me." He said sadly, taking in her ghastly and pale demeanor. What had he done to her?

She stifled a cry and wrapped her arms around him, the familiar smell of him filling her senses. She was safe, now she knew.  
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	21. Chapter 21

**A/N Okay guys, I have edited this story so GO BACK to the beginning. A lot has been cleared up and some things have changed. So DO NOT continue until you have started again. Hope you like the changes and the additions.**

_--------------------------- _

_A small girl was playing in rolling hills of green grass. She stopped, having heard something coming towards her. She placed her small hand over her eyes to shield the sun that was blinding her at the moment. Two puppies were running in her direction; she squealed in delight, clapping her hands together and bending down to receive them. As they got closer she saw that one was white and the other black as night. Their bright eyes seemed to smile at her and they ran faster. They reached her, quickly reaching for her face to lick it. The little girl laughed, their tongues tickled her and she lost her balance. The puppies played with her hair and face while she laughed joyfully. She was still laughing when she noticed the light around her was beginning to diminish. When she opened her eyes, the puppies were gone and a large, dark cloud covered the sky. Before she could even register the change it was pitch black, and the ground underneath her was hard and wet._

She hugged herself as she walked toward what seemed like a light, large tears covering her face. Loud roars behind her made her turn her head violently. The two puppies she had been playing with earlier were back, panting. She smiled, reaching her hand out to touch one of them. Then she heard the roar again, a low guttural sound that became stronger as the two puppies in front of her grew in height and in ugliness. She screamed and ran towards the light she had seen earlier. Her sobs grew louder as she felt the dogs catching up to her.

Something suddenly swooped her up, out of the way of danger. A pair of arms surrounded her, hugging her close to a soft bosom that smelled like flowers and sunshine. Her fear disappeared, replaced by a sense of safety and happiness.

A soft feminine voice soothed her, telling her how much she was loved. A green blanket then replaced the arms; she looked up, the sun bright in her face. The voice smiled to her, then yanked the blanket off her, sending her into a swirl.

She screamed, a dull pain in her chest. She didn't feel fear this time, only pain, as she fell down a dark, dirty tunnel that filled her senses with awful smells she didn't recognize.

"Ahhhhh! Daddy!"

Alfred hurried to the bed, hugging her tightly.

"Shh, Gabrielle, shh, your father will be here any minute." It had been the third time tonight; he had called Master Wayne after the first one, knowing full well the cycle. She would calm down enough to begin pestering him to bring her daddy, then sleep would win her over and she would doze off, only to awake screaming a half hour later from another nightmare.

"I want daddy." Her crying after a nightmare always came in panting, emotional sobs, her lower lip quivering incessantly and her chest rising when a cry seemed to have gotten stuck on the way out.

She jumped out of Alfred's embrace as she heard the familiar footsteps down the hall.

"Daddy!"

Alfred let a small sigh of relief escape as he watched her jump out of the bed and ran out to the hall.

She turned the corner and spotted Bruce, who quickly hugged her to his chest. She cried against him sobs shaking her small body.

Chloe watched with a mix of fascination, anger, and wonder.

He had asked her if she didn't mind. Did she mind what? The detour? No. Going with him? Definitely not. Him consoling her daughter? Hell yeah.

"Come join us." He said to her breaking her out of her thought and led her to a sitting room across from the bedroom. Honestly she was quite amazed at his willingness to share this much of his life with her. He was known as a private man; everyone knew of him, but little could boast of knowing him. Did that mean he was considering her part of his private life? She didn't dwell much on the question and sat across from them.

There was a small bookshelf full of children's books, Bruce walked up to it, Gaby in one arm, grabbing a book with the other.

"Not exactly the date I had planned." He smiled at her as he sat down and opened the book to read.

"I don't mind, you have a beautiful daughter." She smiled back, turning then her attention on the redhead on his lap. Gabrielle stared right back at her, her small eyes probing hers, giving her the same look from the times they had seen each other at the office. This time, the curiosity in the four-year olds eyes was stronger.

"Daddy?" she asked, not taking her blue eyes off Chloe. "Who is she?" She had seen the lady at her daddy's office, but now having her so close piqued her interest.

"My name is Jacqueline, but you can call me Jackie." she answered her question.

"Jackie, are you daddy's girlfriend?" Her eyebrows knitted together in a frown that was meant to intimidate her; she had seen her father do that sometimes.

"Well, no, actually, we work together and we are friends, is that okay with you?" Chloe asked her as seriously as she could, without breaking into a smile.

"Then what's a date?" she looked up to her dad for the answer to that one.

Chloe and Bruce both raised an eyebrow; She shrugged her shoulders, giving him the obligation of answering.

"A date huh? What do you think it is?"

"That's what uncle Dyck says he does when he goes out with girls, and they always end up kissing in the mouth." she twisted her face in disgust at the memory.

Bruce laughed, trying to think of a way out of this one, Gaby had never been too fond of any woman that entered their circle, much less if there was kissing involved.

The book by now was forgotten; the whole setting seemed almost unreal.

"Well, uncle Dyck and I tend to do things differently, Jackie is a friend, and I would like for her to be your friend too."

She mused over his answer, not sure whether it satisfied her or not.

"Do you like her?" she asked seriously

"Yes, I think I do." he answered, staring directly at Chloe, followed by a deafening silence.

Gaby then grabbed the book from Bruce's hand and got down from his lap, walking straight toward Chloe. She put the book in her lap. Chloe looked down at the book and then at the little girl in front of her, a questioning look on her face.

"Read it to me." She said almost defiantly, as if testing her. Chloe looked at Bruce. He nodded, encouraging her.

"Okay,"

She opened the book and began to read, but stopped when she felt a small body scurry into her lap. Gaby had gotten up on the couch and was trying to get comfortable on top of her. Chloe smiled and blinked away the tears that threaten to come; she took a deep breath and hugged her small body to her bosom, trying to hold the book with her free arm. Bruce saw her struggle and sat besides her, holding the book for her.

Gaby was used to her father's wide chest, but this wasn't so bad, it was much softer, and although smaller, she quickly found her spot.

Chloe began to read, but after the first page, Bruce put his hand softly on her mouth, drawing her attention to the now sleeping girl in her arms.

"She liked you, it usually takes me a couple reads of the book to get her to go to sleep." he whispered, smiling.

They stared at each other in a comfortable silence. Her arms so full of love that her eyes reflected it, moving Bruce in a way no one had been able to in his life, hoping that what he saw was because of him.

He let his feelings take over and reached his hand out to gently grab her face, his large hand covering the back of her head, his thumb slowly rubbing her cheek.

He pulled her towards him, reaching down to meet her face halfway. His thumb had found its way to her lips, softly touching them. His face was now inches away from hers, her breathing suddenly sharpened at the anticipation of a kiss.

He stared directly into her eyes before closing them slowly, pulling her face the rest of the way until his mouth covered hers.

She hadn't expected to feel like that, so soft, yet demanding, her mouth melting into his against her will. His hands combed through her head as he grabbed a hold of the base of her neck, pulling her closer.

She gasped against mouth, giving him full access to hers. Gaby then stirred in her arms, making her pull away. Bruce didn't let her go so quickly, slowly loosening his hold on her, giving her small kisses along the way.

She smiled as she looked down on Gaby, who was still asleep.

"So does this make for a Dyck-like date?" she asked him.

He took Gaby from her arms, Chloe had to hold back her need to protest. He got up and gave Chloe his free hand. She took it and followed down the hall to her bedroom, only letting go when he placed Gaby in her bed, tucking her in.

"No, Gaby used girls, as in plural. If I have it my way you will be the only one I'll be kissing for a long time." Her stomach turned at the unexpected answer.

He smiled down at her, placing his hands around his waist, pulling her towards him.

"If you'll have me, of course." She looked up at him, trying to decide if this was a scam he was playing on her to get her to sleep with him, having been played many times before by Lex, she didn't know what to think. His eyes looked sincere enough and she was in this for her daughter, not him.

She put a smile on her face and pulled his face down for a kiss.

She was too smart to fall in love again, or was she? Her resolve suddenly dissolving as the kiss deepened, making her feel again.

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	22. Chapter 22

**A/N Okay guys, I have edited this story so GO BACK to the beginning. A lot has been cleared up and some things have changed. So DO NOT continue until you have started again. Hope you like the changes and the additions.**

**-------------------- **

He really shouldn't.

He didn't know what she was hiding yet, his gut told him it was imperative that he did.

They weren't even officially dating yet.

She was his secretary and despite the fact that he wasn't one to let something like that stop him, well he had never gone that route before.

Gaby was in the house and since he had adopted her he had never brought a woman to the house.

All reason flew from his head when Jacqueline looked up at him after he had put Gaby to bed. Her eyes still reflected joy and love, a soft smile was set on her face, as if it was impossible for her mouth not to twitch even a little bit upwards. She had asked him if that made for a Dyck-like date, he had hoped to avoid the answer but found himself answering helplessly.

"No, Gaby used girls, as in plural. If I have it my way you will be the only one I'll be kissing for a long time." He smiled and wondered if she realized how vulnerable he was feeling.

"If you'll have me of course." He added with a smirk, hoping it would hide a little what he was feeling. He suddenly realized he needed her, through the years he had seen bits and pieces of her, he had always liked what he saw but was always cautious due to the fact that he had never seen her display real emotion. What he had seen today was the last straw for him and he hoped against hope that she really was whom she said she was, that whatever she was hiding he could help her with.

He started when she felt her small hand slide up to his face, caressing his jaw, then his temple and finally snaking her fingers through his hair, getting a firm hold on the base of his head. He felt her pull softly and he decided not to fight it, letting her hand guide him. She reached up and teased him with a soft peck on the lips, similar to what he had done a couple nights before. He felt her smile against his mouth and then pulled her closer and grabbed her lips with his, taking the time to nibble on her lower lip before running his tongue across it.

Chloe's legs started to feel shaky, the tone of the kiss had heightened and a thousands thoughts ran through her head. He was her boss for goodness sakes! A man like him had already destroyed her life. She almost pulled back; stopping what she was sure would happen if they continued.

Gabrielle, could this help her get her back? Or was she only looking for an excuse? He felt so good she almost felt guilty for what she knew she would have to eventually do.

Almost.

"Would you mind if we took another detour?" His eyes had darkened even more; she didn't think that was possible.

She blinked and gulped. When she began this quest she had asked herself how far she would go, she had put up some limitation, this not being one of them and yet she still felt nervous.

Not trusting herself to speak she simply nodded. She would have to shut her emotions out, no matter how hard.

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

She tried, she really, really tried, but he didn't make it easy on her.

He kissed her earnestly as they entered through a door. He closed it behind them, not letting go of her. She couldn't help but gasp against his mouth as he reached one strong arm behind her waist and hoisted her up to his level. One of her black pumps fell to the ground. He ran his other hand down the side of her hip and down the length of her leg, quickly finding the mid-thigh slit of the dress. He then wasted no time in placing the width of his hand against her bare skin, caressing her upwards, lifting her dress and leg in the process.

Her eyes shot open as he reached and cupped her butt, bringing her closer to him. Her mind went blank when two of his fingers snaked inward towards her center. She moaned softly, throwing her head back. He grunted at the emptiness his lips were suddenly assaulted with and the shift of weight of her body. He placed his hand higher on her back, supporting her weight. His lips softly attacked her neck, sending her body into frenzy. She fought to regain control of her thoughts, she had expected him to take her and was willing to do that, but what he was making her feel…

She blinked in surprise when he found her ear and started to nibble on it, flicking his tongue every once in a while. She chocked out a sob of frustration and pleasure, did he have to be perfect in this too?

He found her mouth again and slowly slid her down his body, the friction of his hard body against hers making her dizzy. Her still heeled foot reached the floor first, making her slump slightly to the side as the other foot joined it.

Bruce looked down at her; her eyes were heavy laden with an expression he could not read. She looked up at him, her breathing was heavy with desire, but he could sense she was still holding back. A sudden need to please her overtook him; to make her feel like she didn't have to give him anything, just receive.

That's when he knew he couldn't let things go any further. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting his mind take over his body again. He sat down on the bed, motioning her to join him. He reached up for her face and caressed her cheek.

"I believe I owe you dinner." The gentleness in his voice startled her, the content filled her with disbelief, shock, relief and sense of loss all at once.

"There's always time for that." She was surprised how collected she sounded, but she needed to make sure he didn't think she didn't want him.

"And there'll always be time for this too, but today is not the time, is it?" he searched her eyes in the darkness only to have her turn away. No, this was definitely not the time.

She blinked back tears, grateful for the darkness that surrounded them. 

_Damn him, damn him_. She chanted in exasperation at the rush of feelings seeping out of her like a small hole made to a damn, not enough to flood, but enough to know it would all give away soon if the hole was not repaired. 

She could not let that happen, for if Bruce Wayne broke down that damn she knew all hell would break loose.

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"Where's Bruce?" Dyck asked Alfred when he found him out in the hallway.

"He just left with Ms. Foreman." Dyck frowned, it usually took much longer to calm Gaby down after one of her nightmares and he had counted on that. "Is something wrong Master Grayson?" He knew his masters like the back of his hand, or that mansion for that matter.

"I was hoping to give him the heads up on something. I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow." And with a turn of his heel he walked away, deep in thought. He reached the batcave and opened a file that read 'Foreman'; he clicked on a document and stared at it for a good while.

Bruce was not going to like this.

--------------------------

Had she been dreaming? Lana blinked in an effort to adjust to the sunshine pouring in from the window. Sunshine? Lex always had the maid close the heavy drapes over the windows during the day, she never noticed when the sun had risen or set. She sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. Then she remembered--it hadn't been a dream, she had been flown here by Clark, and then put to bed. Pete was there...or was he?

Maybe she had dreamt the whole thing. Clark flying? But if she had been dreaming, why was she in a house in…she looked out the window…the suburbs?

"You're up. Here's breakfast." Pete walked in with a tray, placing it on the nightstand.

"Pete? What?" Why was she so confused?

"Just eat something, okay? I'll fill you in later, what matters is that you are safe. There are some clothes you can use in the closet." He turned to leave.

"Wait, could you stay? Just until I finish eating?" Her voice was small and full of insecurities, so unlike the Lana he had known. Anger rose from his stomach, burning his insides. He forced a smile, trying to think only of her.

"Sure."

She ate in silence, slowly picking at the food, deep in thought.

"What time is it?" she asked before sipping the last of the orange juice.

"It's getting close to 10," he smiled.

"That late?" she mused, smiling a little. "Where are we?"

"Um, California." he chuckled, "I know--"

"So it wasn't a dream, Clark really flew me here," she interrupted. "How is that possible? I always suspected he was hiding something, but...flying?" She put the tray on the nightstand, having only finished the juice and just picked at the food. But the small meal helped clear her head.

"Clark isn't exactly...normal...but he'll explain that later."

They shared a small silence. Lana suddenly remembered something and her face went white.

"No, wait, I have to go back, no!" She moved to get out of bed.

"Wait, Lana, what do you mean, go back with that creep? He kept you like a prisoner!" The same question kept finding its way back to Pete's head. What had he done to her?

"You don't understand. Remember Michael? He has him and if...what are you smiling at?" She choked, enraged.

Pete shook his head. "He threatened you with your son?" His smile turned bitter with disbelief.

"Yes, I have to go back, or else…" tears fell down her face.

"Lana, Lex doesn't have your son." Pete had been hoping Clark would do this, but they hadn't counted on another one of Lex's manipulations.

"What do you mean? Where is he then, is he dead?" The possibility had never escaped her, but she had been hopeful.

"No, he's here with me."

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	23. Chapter 23

**I just realized that in the changes I needed to change the rating too. I hope this isn't bothersome for you guys, but the story is much darker now, I hope I didn't offend anyone with this mistake.**

**A/N Okay guys, I have edited this story so GO BACK to the beginning. A lot has been cleared up and some things have changed. So DO NOT continue until you have started again. Hope you like the changes and the additions.**

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"You're slowing me down!" Clark quickened his pace as much as was humanly possible while carrying his coffee, suitcase, breakfast and the files Lois had just placed on his arms a couple seconds ago before she headed to the elevator. He had made up his mind to go to extremes to hide his powers as Clark Kent, even if that made him look clumsy at times, but those days with Lois had made it exceptionally hard for him. She went to such extremes to make him feel bad that his pride would rise to dangerous levels, or at least that's what he told himself whenever he felt like showing off around her.

"There, made it. Now where are you taking me?" he begged as the elevator door closed behind him.

"On your first assignment, Smallville." She had called him that several times the past two days and he still had yet to figure out why she found it so amusing. She grinned as she pressed a button, the B lighting up. He had made the mistake of pointing out that the word schedule didn't have a k in it, next thing he knew he was proofreading all her work. He still wasn't done. She figured he would be happy enough to get out of that, so that he wouldn't protest what she was going to have him do next.

They reached the basement and the elevator doors opened with a ding. She walked out and went directly through a narrow door on the left. Dust engulfed Clark as he walked in; Lois was dusting a screen that was in the center of the room. He coughed since both of his arms were occupied he was helpless against the dust that now covered his face.

"I need you to be prepared for the presentation party. Lex you seem to already know, so now you get to know Bruce Wayne. You can look through old newspaper articles and use the internet."

Clark put everything down on the dusty desk, a confused look on his face.

"Conversation starters, Clark, and you can start writing up some questions. I just might let you ask them." She knew she might be crossing some line with him, but for some reason she really enjoyed giving him a hard time. He had proven himself tranquil enough to put up with it.

He was trying to think of something to say when the intercom rang.

"Miss Lane?" A young man's voice crackled over the speaker.

"What do you want, Jimmy?"

"Mr. Luthor is here asking for you."

Lois grinned, that explained the half pained tone poor Jimmy had. "I'll be right up. Oh and Jimmy?"

"Yes?"

"He doesn't bite, okay?"

Even Clark smiled at that. She turned to leave.

"Wait, not so fast. We're both supposed to be covering Lex, not just you," Clark pointed out. He was meek, but not stupid. He had a lot more questions to ask him and under the reporter cover he could do so at a more professional level.

"This isn't exactly an interview," she forced out, her facial expression changing dramatically. Damn it, why did she feel so guilty? Clark had to hide his surprise at the evident vulnerability he saw on her face.

"You're dating him?"

She lifted her chin proudly, as though she had nothing to be ashamed of. She stared directly at him.

"You say it as if it were a national security issue." She dodged the direct question.

"Well, I guess that would depend on how you look at it. He's your cousin's husband. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Look, I'm seeing my niece today, okay? I'm doing what I can to find out what happened to my cousin and save her if the situation warrants. What are you doing, huh?" Indignation filled her now and she kicked herself for letting him see her insecurities in what she was doing.

Clark stared at her, he had seen her in practically every mood possible in the short time he had worked with her, but this was a first. She was scary when she was mad and she glowed when she was happy. This...this was different; her whole face turned red, her eyes shone with indignation and pride, her back erect in a defensive stance.

He looked at her straight in the eye. "You know I'm doing my part. Just be careful, okay?"

He then sat in front of the screen and started his research. To her surprise his soft tone disarmed her, leaving her blinking, confused over what just happened. She turned on her heel and left without saying a word.

---------------------

He was coming home soon, Pete had told her. She still couldn't believe it, but why would he lie to her? It made sense, but maybe she was dreaming, maybe she would wake up and find herself locked up in that room again. She shuddered, no, she really wished it wasn't a dream. She was scared, she realized, scared of seeing him again, scared of his reaction, she didn't know if she could take not being recognized by him as much as she knew how very possible that was.

She sighed and walked towards the window. It faced the street, she glanced at the clock by the bed: 3:45. Several cars passed by, then she saw a school bus pass by. Her heart skipped a beat, Pete had explained to her that he usually took him to school, but due to his schedule he had to take the bus to come back. He had gone through the trouble of personally knowing the driver and gone as far as to call him on his cell phone every afternoon to make sure he had gotten on the bus. Pete hadn't gone to work that day, having decided not to leave Lana alone.

Several older kids came into her line of sight, some were running, others were talking and laughing and they waved goodbye when they had to part ways. She pushed the blinds opened further, craning her neck when a group of younger children passed by, none stopped in front of the house. Frustration was quick to build up inside of her and another fear struck her, would she recognize him?

The number of kids passing started to dwindle and her heartbeat started beating faster. Maybe something had happened to him, maybe this was when she would wake up and realize she would never see him again, maybe…

A dark head appeared first from above the neighbor's bush; she held her breath, as a red head appeared besides it. She kept watching as two boys became visible, she strained to see but could not catch a look at their faces. They had stopped in front of the house and were talking. The red head then waved as he kept walking. Time seemed to slow down at that instant for her, the boy turned slowly and out of habit looked up at his house giving her full view of his face. A sob broke through as she blinked over and over again, making sure her eyes had not deceived her. She stood there even as he went into the house replaying the scene in her head, committing his face to memory. It was him, there was no mistaking it. Sure, time had changed him somewhat but it was her little boy, his eyes were still blue, his hair was still dark, his face was still strong, his built was still lean, his smile still brought a swarm of butterflies awake in her heart.

Only one thing had changed, the look in his eyes. It used to resemble Clark's innocence and love for life, now as he had stared at the house, she saw herself, and that broke her heart.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He stared at the envelope in front of him. It had arrived early in the morning, he had thought it would be a good opportunity to show Bruce his findings, but he had left early for work. Now, three hours later he sat in the huge study just staring at the file and the envelope, truth be told after having opened the envelope he was more confused than ever, alarms blaring like crazy in his head. He had tried his office, he was out on a meeting, she had told him. It was like she knew how untimely it would be for her if he got a hold of him. That was ridiculous of course, but he couldn't help but wonder.

He looked at the huge grandfather clock by the door and made a decision. He grabbed his coat, the file and the envelope and walked out without looking back.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Chloe walked into the elevator, several files on her hand. She had to go to the vault to get the specifications on the new product. The presentation was in a couple of days now and she wanted to make sure she knew exactly what she was going to be talking about, besides the fact that it also served as an effective distraction to keep her from thinking about Lex being in the same room with her, as huge as that room was.

She took another step to settle deep in the elevator but struck a human wall, she lost her balance, landing on her bottom, with her files now surrounding her. She looked up to find Dyck Grayson quickly reaching down to help her. His usually friendly grin was nowhere to be seen as he helped her getting the paper mess in order. The elevator door closed on them while they were still on the floor.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Grayson, I was distracted." 4, 5, 6,7 wait she had 5 folders, not seven, she realized as she tried to put everything in order.

"Don't worry about it." His voice sounded tense. _Oh, this isn't a folder, it's an envelope._

"I think this is yours, as well as.." she looked through the papers in her hands and tried to decide which one didn't belong.

"Oh, here, don't bother." He tried to reach for them, but she was already too much into the task, pulling away from him.

"Here it …" her voice died in her throat as she read her alias on the folder. "What?" she looked up quickly and was met with a smile that didn't match the hard glint in his eye.

"You really shouldn't have bothered." She heard him sigh first - in resignation maybe, she couldn't tell - then the sound of his hand rising quickly above his head. She dropped the folders and in a flash blocked the blow that was destined for her neck.

A look of shock appeared before the young man, giving her a couple seconds ahead of him. That was all she needed.

She fisted up her hand and hit him square in the nose, making his eyes water and his nose bleed. She kneed him, making him double over. She flattened her hand and went for his neck. Her hand stopped centimeters away from its goal, his strong hand clutching fiercely at hers.

"You took me by surprise, not gonna happen again." He grabbed both of her hand and put them behind her back. "I was hoping to give Bruce the heads up first, letting him decide what to do with you, but this isn't such a bad idea either. It'll probably make the decision making easier on him."

She looked frantically around her trying to look for a way out. She was too close to what she wanted, too close.

She felt as one his hands left his hold on her, probably to wipe his nose, and at the same time the elevator beeped as they passed another floor. She looked at the panel in front of her and knew what to do.

She jumped and placed her feet firmly on the wall in front of her, pushing the stop button on her way up the steel wall, and landed behind him.

"What the hell?" He turned quickly to find her in fighting stance. He chuckled. "You really are full of surprises aren't you?" He couldn't believe how it was going down.

"You have no idea."

"Fine, I'll give you this one too, but no more." He sighed for the second time. He hated fighting girls.

He lunged at her and to his shock, missed. He felt a hard blow on his back, then saw the roundhouse kick she managed to land on his face.

"Oh hell no!" He was mad now. He kicked, but only managed to have it stopped by the wall. He looked around in exasperation, the small space was restricting to him, but not to her. She moved nimbly from side to side, her skirt riding up to her thighs.

He jumped and used the wall for support to land behind her just as she had.

"You're not the only one with fancy tricks."

"What do you want from me? I don't want to hurt anyone." She really didn't want to, but she still didn't know what he knew about her.

"The truth Ms. Foreman, oh wait, that's not even your name, is it?" Her eyes grew wide "You see, Jacqueline Foreman, born in Connecticut in 1980 died in Ireland 5 years ago, where she was buried as well. Making it hard to find anything here in the US about her. That was smart, I have to admit."

Damn, damn, damn. She really needed to shut him up. Tears welled in her eyes as she sprung into action.


	24. Chapter 24

How could two people look so much alike, yet disturbingly different? She just couldn't get over it, even now, almost two hours later in the company of Lex and Alexia, it kept bugging her.

"Say bye to Aunt Lois Alexia." Lex ordered, and once again she was face to face with the little girl. Long blond hair; big, green eyes, a little on the short side for her age. It was like time had done a rewind and she was staring at her cousin when she was younger.

The little girl then looked at her and smiled. There it was; what made her so different. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, which were extremely guarded, not even giving her a hint of what kind of person that little piece of being was. If there was one thing she knew in her cousin was her look, so open and curious, Alexia's didn't have either quality.

"Good-bye." Her smile waned quickly, like letting her know that it wasn't for real, she was only doing it because she had been asked to.

"Bye honey," She forced herself to smile, she was, after all her niece, and it wasn't her fault that she was being raised by the liked of Lex Luthor. She watched Alexia's back as she retreated back to her room.

"Let's go, I don't want the Editor of the Planet calling me angry for keeping his best reporter out on normal office hours." He smiled and led her to the elevator.

Lois only smiled back, lost in her thoughts.

"I'm leaving tomorrow for Gotham, are you still willing to accompany me?"

He was asking a question, and all she grabbed from it was Gotham and tomorrow. She really needed to focus.

"Yes, sure, I will be ready, what time?" It was then that she noticed the elevator going up, not down.

"After lunch, I'll have someone pick you up from The Plantet." She courteously waited for him to finish.

"Um, Lex, where are we going?"

Lex didn't look at her. "To the roof, this is rush hour; it would be madness to drive back." He stated as if it was obvious.

She still didn't understand. At that moment the elevator opened, a strong gush of wind forced her to struggle with her A-line skirt as it threatened to quit its job of covering her up and give into the air and fly. She blinked as Lex walked towards the already running helicopter.

This was defiantly going to take some getting used to.

* * *

"Is she back yet?" Clark asked an annoyed Jimmy for the 10th time. Jimmy only shook his head.

"No again CK, I'm sure we'll all know when she gets here." She always did make an entrance. "Especially if she went with Luthor." That guy gave him the creeps.

Clark fought the urge to pace back and forth, mainly because he didn't want to draw attention to the fact that he was worried, and the space between the desks were to small for any decent pacing.

He sat down and decided to review what he had printed on Bruce Wayne, newspaper articles, photos, magazine shots, everything. He furrowed his eyebrow, the man seemed more famous for his play dates than business deals. He would find a picture with him with two women, one on each arm, in the front page, and his latest product launch on page 7 or other. It was as if he went to extreme lengths to pull attention away from something, but then again, the media nowadays was more concerned on billionaire's love lives rather than their business dealings.

It was all the same until 4 years back, he started going out less, and staying at home more, rumors had started to fly around until he made a press conference announcing that he had decided to adopt a child. He hadn't given any more details except that he had entered a new phase in his life and was going to try to give this little girl an actual family experience, hence the lack of any personal information on the child.

He continued browsing to see if he could find a picture of said child. After a while he found it, but it was of no help, all that was visible was a pair of legs sticking out from under an umbrella covering both her and Bruce Wayne. He wasn't even sure if that was Bruce Wayne.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He would make sure to ask about that, he understood the reason to keep her away from the media, but no even one published photo of her? Either he was very secretive or very protective.

He then heard something and snapped straight up in his chair. He looked around, no one seemed to have heard anything. He focused on the sound.

"Sht! Lex!" It was Lois, she sounded scared.

He walked as fast as he could without drawing attention to himself towards the elevator, looking upwards as he went, floor after floor until he saw it. Lex was on the roof, unconscious, while an out of control helicopter held a very flustered Lois Lane.

He started unbotting his shirt, revealing his family crest, as the elevators doors closed.

It was now or never.

* * *

What the hell had happened? First they were about to land on a perfectly clear roof on a perfectly clear, non-windy day. As the helicopter landed, both Lex and Lois unbuckled, Lex stood first, and that's when everything went wrong. The helicopter suddenly shook, throwing him off balance and spilling him unto the floor.

"Sht! Lex!" She looked at the pilot.

"I can't control her!" He shouted over the whirr of the blades, the pilot fought against the force that moved the aircraft up. Lois watched as the roof of the Daily Planet got smaller and smaller.

Suddenly silence reigned as the engine sputtered to a halt. The pilot looked at her in question and fear.

"What the hell is going on?!" She knew what had happened but refused to believe it since they were more than 200 feet above safe landing.

The pilot didn't answer; instead he pushed and probed at his gauges while gravity claimed them.

All she could do was hang on.

The roof rushed to greet them, and then the wind shifted, sending them closer to the edge. She couldn't help but watch as her sight was more filled with the street below than with the roof. They were going to miss the roof altogether. She couldn't close her eyes, she knew she should, but she couldn't. Maybe if she jumped?

The helicopter swung out of control, landing lopsided on the edge of the roof, the impact sent the pilot flying out. Lois tried to hang onto the door, and averted her eyes; she felt a strong gush of air as she hung on for dear life. The pilot's scream suddenly died in the air, she shut her eyes, tears threatened to surface. It was not the time to mourn someone she had barely met, she had to survive, and then maybe she'd go to his funeral or something. The door was too thick and she was having a hard time hanging on. She tried to push herself up and try to reach the handle, only to slip and let go altogether. She heard herself screaming as she plunged downward.

She heard a loud swooshing first, and then felt strong arms envelop her, not only stopping her descent but lifting her back up.

"Don't worry Miss, I've got you." She turned towards the strong voice of her rescuer; she looked around for anything supporting the strong chiseled body, nothing.

"You've got me?! Who's got you!" Holy crap they were flying. The creature just smiled, yes he had to be a creature of some sort, definitely not human. She looked down, the pilot was standing in the middle of the crowd, completely unharmed, they were all looking up, she saw her sentiments mirrored on every face. Shock, utter and unbelievable shock. A loud rumble made her look up, to the roof. The helicopter slid off its precarious landing and heading straight towards them.

"Crap!" she said, angry for some reason. This had to be the worst date ever. She was going to die because if for some trick or twist of nature this guy was flying, there was no way they could be saved from that massive machine.

The guy in the red cape holding her sped up, letting go of her legs in the process, she suppressed the need to scream and just held on to the one arm still around her. With his free arm he reach for the aircraft, stopping its descent. Effortlessly he lifted it and her back up to the roof. He put the helicopter on the ground, then set her on her feet. Lex still lay on the ground, an angry gash across the side of his face, staring in disbelief. She ran to him, he was okay. She turned to thank whoever had saved her, only to see him walking away, his red cape playing with the soft wind. His feet started to leave the ground.

"Wait!" She yelled at him and ran to meet him. "Who are you?" she asked as he turned. He was more impressive up close. His body was contoured by his skin-tight costume. His face was strong, but his eyes were kind, wise. The piercing blue color only gave him an even more ethereal air.

"I'm a friend." He smiled and took off into the sky.

Lex had gotten up and was now behind her, looking up in the sky as well. He couldn't believe what had just transpired, was it even possible? They stood there for a long time, neither even acknowledging each other's presence, just lost in thought and wonder, but in different manners.

"I got it! I got it!" A proud and loud Jimmy broke their reverie. Lois turned to see him waving his camera in the air like crazy.

"I got a picture of him Ms. Lane!" The journalist in her took over. "Well let's go, we got a hot story in our hands." She then turned to Lex. "Come on, we should get you to a hospital."

Him in a public hospital? Not in this lifetime.

"I'll be fine, you go, I'll se you tomorrow." She looked him over once more and ran towards the elevator with Jimmy. Lex took out his cell phone, miraculously unharmed in the ordeal.

"Yes. Pick me up at the Planet, and bring Alexia with you."

* * *

A sob threatened to choke her as she looked inside the little room one last time before closing the door. Dyck was unconscious, tied up and muzzled in the corner of the utility closet located in the basement of the building. Not a lot of people went down there, and not very often. Once she had her daughter and 1,000 miles between them, she'd email his location, for now, she had to get through the next three days. She had to distract Bruce long enough for him not to notice Dyck was gone, but how? She took a deep sigh and leaned back against the door, she was tired, so very tired.

She straightened her skirt, blouse and hair then wiped away a runaway tear from her cheek and lifted her head. She had work to do.

* * *

Michael walked into the kitchen after putting his backpack in the hall closet. He was surprised to find his uncle sitting in the small dining room reading a newspaper.

"Hey Uncle Pete, what are you doing home?" He looked up, there was something in his eyes that bothered Michael. Uncle Pete had always been over protective, he had learned to do what he was told, even though he didn't fully understand. Maybe he had done something wrong without knowing.

"Michael, come here kid." He motioned to his lap, the child complied and climbed on his lap. Now he realized his uncle was nervous. He sighed.

"Are we moving again?" Pete smiled sadly, there was no reproach in his voice, no anger, just acceptance. In his short life he had experienced so much, had been asked to act so much older than he really was. Pete sighed, maybe now he had a shot at offering him a real family.

"No buddy, but I've got some good news for you." How do you tell a seven year old his mom is alive and in the upstairs room?

His face lit up. His birthday was coming up; maybe they would go visit Grandma Martha and Grandpa Jonathan. He truly did love their letters and even though his real grandparents were dead they had let him be his grandson. He still remembered the big yellow house; it was always in his dreams.

"Remember I've told you about your mom?" His uncle embraced him. His mom? His face fell. His mommy and daddy had died, but Uncle Pete always told him stories about them with the only picture he had.

"Yeah,"

"Well, something happened and my friend Clark, remember him?" He had liked the big guy named Clark. "Well, he found her." There he had said it. Michael furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Found her, he found mommy?, but she's dead"

"No, she's not. You want to see her? She's upstairs waiting for you." The child blinked back tears, unsure how to react. He struggled against the arms that held him in place, almost falling to the ground, Pete let him go and watched him run away from him and out into the back yard. He heard a sob behind him.

Lana was standing there; she had watched the whole thing.

"Give him time. It's too much to process; sometimes I forget he's only 7."

"It's hard to believe he's already 7 Pete, I've lost so much time with him. She watched from the glass door as her son scrambled up the tree house.

"But you still have so much time." He nudged her to follow her son. "Maybe if you…" Lana looked at him. In just the day she had been there he had turned into her rock. She walked through the door that Michael had left open in his rush to get out. Fear ran through every single one of her veins, but she had to get him back.

The tree house had already been there when they had moved in, it had been what had convinced Michael that this house would be his home and in the two years he had been there, he had forgotten that he had lived anywhere else. He grabbed his toy car and rode it back and forth the wood planks that served as a floor. The ladder creaked with the weight of someone trying to come up. He smelled her first, stirring something he couldn't define.

"Hi little man." The woman spoke to him. He turned briefly to see her. She was half sitting on the top of the ladder. Long black hair, sad eyes. She looked like her, but at the same time she didn't. "What's that you're playing with?" she asked.

Without looking at her he handed her his car. It was a red truck. Lana smiled, a tear ran down her cheek. "Its pretty."

"It isn't pretty!" He looked at her, indignation filling his face. "Its handsome, only girly things are pretty." She almost choked. Alan used to tell him that, it was their thing. After the initial shock she recovered and smiled widely.

"Well, sorry there mister. It's a very handsome truck." She handed him back the truck and watched him play for a few minutes. He suddenly stopped and looked at her openly.

"What's your name?"

"Lana."

"My mommy's name is Lana." He stated, Lana nodded. "Hi Lana, nice to meet you." He stood and stuck his hand out in greeting. "My name is Michael." She shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you Michael." Her eyes watered with tears, he dropped her hand and continued playing.

Lana stayed and watched

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	25. Chapter 25

**3 days till product launch**

She was a woman on a mission and it hurt.

She didn't want to hurt Bruce, really, but she saw now way around it, unless… No, telling him would only endanger him, she would rather hurt him than put him in danger. She stepped off the elevator and went straight to her desk. She ran different scenarios in her head, she couldn't very well knock him out as well, and she needed that party to happen. How was she going to distract him for three days?? She looked at the files on her desk, all the information on the product they were to launch was there. Her head snapped up as an idea finally came to her. She reached for her paper shredder and making sure no one was close enough to see what she was doing she put them through, making confetti out of them. She then stood and walked tersely to his office door. She put on her most worried face and knocked.

"Come in" Bruce looked up at her from the top of his reading glasses, her stomach did a nervous flip. He looked good.

"Mr. Way… Bruce." She corrected herself when he lifted an eyebrow at her. "I can't find the specs on the product, I've looked everywhere." She folded her hands in front of her, trying to look nervous.

Bruce had told Dyck to take care of the gangs so he could prepare for the launch, he hadn't heard from him since yesterday and he had planned on leaving early that day. He sighed, his review could go faster if he had company.

"I'm reviewing the specs myself, we can take care of the missing copy later, why don't you study them with me?"

Chloe had to force herself not to smile, not exactly what she had hoped for – she didn't even know there was another copy on hand – but the situation still worked for her advantage.

"Sure, I'm specifically having trouble with the initial layout, what does it do exactly?" She feigned ignorance well.

He grabbed the binder in front of him and led them towards the couch

"Okay, that's a good place to start." He opened the blue print and placed it on the coffee table. "As you know energy has many sources, but they all have their flaws: they are non-renewable, expensive or better used for something else. Wind and solar energy are the only ones that are renewable and the quantity of the source is not affected when used." She blinked, not understanding. "When you use oil, you use it and its gone, with windmills they move with the wind creating friction and energy but the wind itself isn't altered." He looked at her, searching for understanding. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration looking at the blueprint. She was slightly nodding making her dark curls bounce slightly.

"The biggest problem with energy sources is the waste they produce, only adding to the garbage problem in the world, this Ms. Foreman kills both birds with one stone. This is the generator, and this here is the processor."

"So let me get this straight," she said looking at the blueprint. "This turns trash into energy? What type of energy?" Once again she wondered why Catwoman wanted this in the first place.

"That's the beauty of this; trash can be both organic and non-organic and turns it into electric energy, cutting down on the costs. This is powerful enough to charge an electric car for 10 years yet gentle enough to not burn your common 60 watt light bulb." He was proud of his little invention, she could tell and she couldn't help but feel a little good for it. He really was a remarkable man; he turned his millions and power and converted it into something good for those around him. He was most definitely no Lex Luthor.

"How do you do this? You've got so much and give so much, it's not usually the pattern with rich people." She spoke from experience, the more Lex had, the more he wanted and took.

"People are not at fault for their circumstances, I was born into privilege, and this is only a drop of water compared to the world's troubles. I'm only contributing what I can to help people …" he was stopped abruptly by her lips crashing down on his. Her hands grabbed hold of his head as he reacted quickly, kissing her back. He pulled her small form closer to him, not sure what had happened, but glad it had. She pulled away slowly, her eyes full of tears.

"You are amazing." She said in uncontrolled awe.

"I'm just a man Jacqueline, a man who would love to know you, if you'd let me." His eyes bore into hers, the product and its niceties forgotten.

She hadn't planned that, but she felt the need to thank him somehow. Soon she'd be gone, she only had now to let him know that she appreciated everything he had done, for the world and for her daughter.

She placed small quick kisses around his mouth, teasing him, raising the temperature of the room unexpectedly. She explored his chest with open hands, she heard him take a sharp intake of breath.

"Jacqueline…" his voice trailed as she found his earlobe and started to nibble on it. He forced himself to pull her away, making eye to eye contact. "Don't start something you might regret. It doesn't have to happen now." Chloe smiled sadly.

"Shh, I'm a big girl Bruce, I know what I'm doing." She leaned in, stopping mere centimeters from his mouth. She breathed him in for a second; taking in his aftershave, his tongue darted out, licking his lips in anticipation.

Bruce had always been proud of his patience, but at that moment he cursed it. He wanted her, but a weakening voice in his head told him to wait, that she might be for real, that he wanted to take things slow. 

A second too soon for his consciousness she sighed and pressed her lips against his, making his voice of reason disappear.


	26. Chapter 26

Thanks for your reviews guys!! Keep reviewing!!

WARNING: This is a very strong R, I'd say NC-17 just to be safe. so beware.

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Jacqueline Foreman had never had sex. She was too busy, too work driven; she didn't need sex and most definitely did not go looking for it. She had a mission and had prepared herself mentally and physically for it. So that only left one question in her mind. Who, then, was trailing kisses down the surprising muscular chest of Bruce Wayne?? Who had led them to the hidden bedroom behind the bookcase that was kept for long nights at the office? Who had stripped, slowly and deliberately for her boss?

Usually her identity didn't bother her much; she was who she was going after what she was going after. But his touch had awakened a conflict inside her. He touched her like no one had before him, like he wanted to get under her skin. He touched her like he wanted her, not just sex, her.

And that scared the living shit out of her.

So she had to make up her mind, who was she going to let him in on?

Chloe Sullivan had been a dreamer, had wanted to be loved, had wanted to be adored, had wanted kids, a career and a loving husband. Such foolish dreams Ms. Sullivan had and for a second she was that all over again. His fingers skimmed the rise of her breasts, and He made her dream again and that's when she knew. She couldn't give him Chloe Sullivan, she was still too broken, too weak.

That only left Chloe Luthor, equally suppressed within her, but with less to lose and in these circumstances with more to offer. Mrs. Luthor knew how to please her man, Mr. Luthor had made sure of it. She knew how to move, how to touch, how to kiss, even how to come; all towards one goal, to give the utmost pleasure. He had taught her well and now thanks to that she was going to be able to give Bruce Wayne a night he would not soon forget.

He had watched her as she took her clothes off, his demeanor one of barely concealed restraint. He enjoyed the show, but wanted more. He reached for her and reached to help her with her bra, she slapped his hand away and sat him on the bed. That bothered him, it was almost as if his touch had turned something off inside her, he saw it in her eyes, then had turned another one. She suddenly became surer of herself and revealed a side of her he had never seen before. It was almost as if she had erected a wall around her, and he was determined to tear it down.

She reached behind her back, eyes locked in his as she freed herself and let the garment fall to the ground. His eyes turned to bottomless pools of desire at the sight of her bare breasts.

She inched closer to him slowly, and with a predatory smile straddled his lap. He took the opportunity and kissed her fully on the lips. She resisted at first, but gave in soon enough. His hands stroked the bare skin of her back. Their mouths parted to heighten the level on the kiss, tongues charging at each other. His hands then took separate paths; one went north, entangling itself in her hair, holding her head in place. The other pushed south, and with a rather rough caress pushed her butt towards him, making her feel his erection pressing against her inner thigh. She continued kissing him as her hands finished the job they had started back on the couch. She pulled his shirt from the tight confines of his waistband and pushed it down his arms, equally as defined as his chest. She couldn't help but elicit a deep throated moan at the feel of each muscle under her fingertips. He was as beautiful in as he was out.

She might actually allow herself to enjoy him. At that moment his hand took hold of her waist, almost covering completely, making her feel small and vulnerable. She suppressed the sigh that threatened to surface along with her vulnerability.

She sucked his tongue hard before pulling away, his eyes were heavy-ladden, his lips were swollen and red from their kissing. She smiled, he really was beautiful. She stood and took a step back, Bruce looked questioningly at her but forced himself to stay quiet and follow her lead.

He watched in silence as she unbuttoned his pants, she was very fast and before he knew it she was pulling his pants along with his boxers under him. He helped her out by lifting his bottom a little bit, both garments now pooled at his feet. She kneeled then and took off his shoes, then discarded his clothes.

She looked up at him then, her face framed in unruly curls, the moonlight playing with her breast and tummy, her eyes were full of desire and untold fantasy. This was nothing like their first try at the manor. There was no remorse or fear mixed up in there, she really wanted this and that excited him more than anything.

She leaned forward, her eyes fixed on his erect organ. The sight drove him mad, she would look up at him, smile, then inch forward, taunting him.

"You don't have to, you know." He liked what she was hinting at like any other warm-blooded male, but he was fully aware that going down on a man didn't top the list for most women.

She pulled herself up and kissed his lips softly, catching him off guard. She looked deep into his eyes and muttered one word.

"Please?" She begged, she was begging him to let her. His insides turned to liquid fire and he shook his head.

"I want us to have sex, us. I want to please you while you're pleasing me." He leaned forward and kissed her ear. "I want you to come inside me, and make me come just by the strength of your orgasm." She trembled, a fire began to flare inside her womb. She could no longer remember who she was supposed to be. "I want to make love to the woman I'm falling in love with." He finished in a hoarse whisper, then let his tongue wander inside her ear feeding the fire inside of her. His lips moved slowly down the side of her throat nibbling lightly at her skin. He sucked lightly at the curve where her neck and shoulder met, her head lolled back and she heard herself gasp. Her chest rose and fell quickly as her breath hitched.

A cloud seemed to surround them because she didn't feel him change their position, or the mattress underneath her, all she knew is that suddenly he was on top of her, and all she felt was his body on hers. She searched for his mouth, the need to kiss him as powerful as the need to breathe. His mouth was heading further south, nipping at her skin, making her writhe beneath him. She grabbed his hair and pulled his head towards her, claiming his lips.

Their bodies melted together in an entangled and sweaty embrace. She sucked on his bottom lip while his hand ran down the side of her body, pressing his hand down firmly on her skin, feeling every curve and dip. He had always fantasized on seducing her, making her scream with his mouth, but all his plans were thrown out the window by her small hands on his butt, urging him to merge with her, begging him to get underneath her skin if possible.

Their love-making turned frantic then, she became unwilling to let his lips go and he was happy to oblige. He managed a bit of self-control and sneaked his hand in between their bodies. He lifted a little bit off her, she moaned her protest in his mouth, but was quickly replaced by a gasp when he found her clit and massaged it, while grabbing a hold of her tongue and sucking it. Her heart went on override and her body seemed to separate from her soul as he fingered her and fcked her tongue at the same time. She arched underneath him, spreading her legs around him, giving him full access. She was close, he could tell by her breathing and erratic movements and in one nimble step he came up for air and pushed his erection inside her. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth made a small 'o' as he began to move inside her.

He followed the rhythm of a song as old as time, that even though he had never heard before he knew by heart, she joined him in dance, her hips lifting both of them off the bed with every thrust.

At that moment everything around them disappeared, it was just them; a man and a woman turning a noun into a verb, turning flesh into instruments, making music tangible.

Chloe realized she had never been loved like this, and probably never would be again, so she chose to enjoy it.

And enjoy it she did, all night long.


	27. Chapter 27

Yes, this is an update!! Read and don't forget to give feedback. I hope this answer your question. I am not quitting this story!!!

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He remembered the last time he had opened that door and what his reaction had been at the emptiness that had confronted him. His emotions were conflicted, he felt rage, and then he walked towards the open window, relief washing over him as he hoped to find her mangled body decorating the sidewalk below. No such luck, she was gone, and truthfully he was only mildly surprised. After all, Clark Kent was back in town. He had looked around the room and turned to walk out, his distressed maid walking behind him, practically yelling her apologies. He ignored her, letting her fear of unemployment or possible death be her punishment.

He had to admit that deep inside him he knew that his use of Lana was coming to an end, and the only thing he really regretted about losing her, was not having the pleasure to see her to that end. He couldn't even confront Clark to find out if he had anything to do with her disappearance, doing so would only force him to answer questions he did not want to deal with. So he had decided to close off that floor, until he needed it again.

Now standing in front of that door once more he wasn't too happy to realize how quickly he had put it to good use again. He sighed heavily, he had thought of many ways that room could be used for, but he had hoped never to use it on her.

The door opened and the scared maid walked out, head bowed, not daring to make eye-contact. She hurried into the kitchen and out of the way of her master.

Lex took a step inside, the room was no longer the pale white it had been before, an opaque metal-like material covered the walls, even the windows were covered. The toys scattered on the floor and the soft light did nothing to lessen the room's hard prison look.

"Daddy!" Alexia looked up from her game with two hairless dolls. "Do you want to play with me?" She smiled affectionately at him, even if he had imprisoned her. His resemblance of a heart tightened at the show of affection and loyalty.

"Not now honey, we need to talk." He knelt in front of her, but not completely down to her level, so she stood and faced him.

"Are you still mad? I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Her green eyes rounded and watered slightly. "I want to go home." She finished and hung her head.

"But you did mean to hurt Aunt Lois and that is why you are being punished." The little girl lifted her head, her sad look had vanished and a silent rage was visible behind the beautiful face.

Lex took her hand and sat her on her lap.

"I know it has just been me and you for a long time, but its time to get to know more people, Lois is just the first, and you need to at least pretend to like her. If you don't, you are going to be stuck in this room indefinitely. Do you understand what I am saying?" She nodded slowly, her anger diminishing slowly.

"But I don't like people daddy, I only like you." Possessiveness overpowered her anger and she hugged her to him.

"You don't have to like them honey, just don't try to kill them. okay?" He pulled her away and made her look at him. "Do we have a deal?" She smiled and nodded. She liked to play pretend, that she could do. "Now, I'm going to let you come back upstairs with Nana, I am leaving for a business trip tomorrow with Aunt Lois." Her face immediately darkened. "Remember we have a deal, and an airplane is not like a helicopter, not only could I get hurt, but I could die. Is that clear Alexia?" She blinked in confusion and fear. Her father was her whole world.

"Yes, Daddy. I won't play with the airplane." Her monotone voice brought a smile to Lex's face. Despite her special talents she was still just a spoiled little girl, his little girl. Her face suddenly lit up, as if a grand idea had entered her head. "Are you going to bring me back presents?"

"Sure, tell you what, first thing I'll do as soon as I arrive will be to get something special. Well, let's go, then. I bought you a new book. It's late so how about I read to you tonight?" She grabbed his hand and skipped besides him all the way to the elevator that would lead her back home.

2 days till product launch

Clark peered at the time on the bottom corner of his screen. It was past midnight. The night had been quiet, only a car crash and a small fire. They were both easy to control and the local authorities had been able to take care of the rest. It had taken him two restroom breaks to get away from Lois.

He looked up tot the desk across from him and watched her work. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, her fingers were flying across the keyboard, the tip of her tongue slid in and out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, breaking his. He shook his head.

She had insisted in him finishing his research, and she was putting the finishing touches on the follow up article on Superman, in other words him. She had come up with the name and it had stuck, much to his chagrin.

He suppressed a sigh as he looked at the clock again, he wanted to go to California before leaving for Gotham, he had put it off, but he couldn't any longer. He needed to face Lana and talk, long and clear. She needed to know what was in store for her son, their son. That still sent his mind spinning. He looked up at the reason for his delay, at least for that night.

"Doesn't your flight leave in 8 hours?" He leaned back in his chair, awaiting her response.

"Yeah, so?" She said looking straight at him, her fingers kept on moving. He almost flinched. In the three days he had been working with her he had learned some things. Her horrible spelling was one, him having to fix her mistakes was a fast second. He could only imagine how many words were tortured when she took her eyes off the screen.

When he didn't respond, her eyes went back to the screen, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Um, well, I know you'll be going in Lex's private Jet, but one thing I know about him, he hates lateness, so …" That caught her attention. She stopped and looked at him. Truth be told, he had expected more fight. Her eyes then grew focused and she smiled.

"You're right, I should be at my best. I still need to work him more; he's tighter than a mafia bank safe." She rushed to close her computer and grabbed her stuff.

She was halfway to the elevator when she turned around. "Thanks, you might be helpful after all." She smiled widely and he couldn't help but smile back.

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The sun filtered through a small break in the thick curtains, long fingers of light reached out to touch her bare back. He sat at the foot of the bed, observing as the air vent moved the curtains, making the rays that slipped through dance on her skin, caressing her soft planes. His body tightened, surprising him. Bruce Wayne had never been without a beautiful woman in his bed; part of the charade, he told himself. Gaby's arrival had only changed the frequency and the place, although he had to admit it was less frequent as time went by. The last time… He couldn't remember the last time.

He ran his hand through his head, trying to sort out his confused head, his eyes intent on the reason for his emotional and now physical discomfort. Jacqueline Foreman had sneaked up on him. He had always noticed her as a responsible assistant and intrigued by the mystery that seemed to surround her. He got closer to try to understand her and she ended taking him prisoner; her full surrender the night before rendering him helpless. A small smile played on his lips before a red flashing light went off in his head. Caution found its way and took root in his mind, gaining some control over his body. He reminded himself that there was still much about her he didn't know, posing an automatic threat. If only he could get her to confide in him, before he found a lead. That should be upfront in his mind.

In all his years no one, besides his daughter, had been able to break his mental barriers, but she had disarmed him so easily it scared him. He heard her sigh and all he saw was her. She rolled over slowly, the sheets teasing him as they slid away from her full breast, then her flat tummy, stopping just south of her bellybutton. Never had anyone looked so vulnerable and enticing at the same time. He watched fascinated as the cool air sent shivers over her skin, she instinctively reached for the sheets, trying to cover herself from the cold. In a second his hand covered hers, bunching the sheet at her hips, throwing it aside. She curled towards him as he covered the swell of her hip in feathery kisses.

"Mmmm" she half sighed "Bruce?" Doubt and fear colored her voice.

"I'm here" He managed between kisses. He watched the planes of her face and she seemed to wake from a bad dream. Her eyes were still closed, but her forehead was creased in a frown. A small tear fell down her cheek, as a small, uneasy smile set on her lips.

"Thank God." She breathed and reached for him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, not sure what to think. Her eyes blinked open, sorrow and hope mixed before his eyes, more tears fell.

"I am now" She found his mouth and kissed him thoroughly, at the taste of her tears an intense need to protect her and posses her washed over him, so strong it shook his very core.

He felt her writhe on top of him, her small body managing to ignite every nerve in his body. He realized then that he had never been in love. He moaned in frustration over his revelation. Love wasn't a luxury he could afford and she wasn't all that she appeared to be. Would he break her heart or would she break his? The stakes were high, dangerously so and for once he had too much to lose. The question now was whether he was willing to risk it or not?

His breath hitched and his thoughts became blurry when he felt her mouth cover his Adam's apple, her tongue caressing every tiny crevice. He felt his self control careen close to edge, stopping before falling. If only he could keep it there, where he could get it back when he wanted, he rationalized. His lust hindered metaphor made sense and he fought to gain some control back. He felt a low growl emerge from his throat and he flipped them over. He let his body take over and only left caution to guard his heart.


End file.
